


What the Future May Bring

by failufail



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Developing Relationship, F/M, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2020-10-20 04:23:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 44,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20669279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/failufail/pseuds/failufail
Summary: There are events in our lives that change our outlook on life, love, and the future.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fic in 2009, and it was posted on FF.net under its original title, Devoid. Fast forward ten years (yes, TEN FRIGGIN' YEARS) later, I came across it hiding in an old hard drive of mine. As I reread it, somehow the muse came back and poked me again. Long story short, I've decided to repost it here, and finally complete it. I may be changing some things along the way as I post the previously posted chapters, but for the most part, I've decided to keep most of the original.
> 
> Yes, the manga ending happened a long time ago. Everyone knew that the major endgame would be Tamaki/Haruhi, and to be honest, I absolutely loved that it was. It was absolutely perfect. That being said, I started this fic before that, at a time when I totally loved writing Kyoya/Haruhi. This was supposed to be my "what-if" storyline. I've always thought Kyoya and Haruhi would fit together better.
> 
> Finally, if you're one of this fic's original readers (I don't know if you guys even exist anymore), thanks for coming back. If you're new-- welcome, and I hope that you enjoy it! Comments and Kudos are great inspiration!

The rain fell hard that day, yet she stood there with nothing protecting her from the elements. The black dress-suit she wore was getting soaked, but she couldn’t feel the wetness on her skin, nor the cold wind blowing against her body. She couldn’t feel anything. She couldn’t cry, or smile, or laugh… she was emotionless. Her body was numb. She couldn’t move—she could only watch as the rain hit the small grave that she hadn’t been to in ages.  
  
The small amount of people that stood around her were faceless. After the service, one would occasionally come up to her and pat her back, grip her shoulder, or give her a sympathetic hug. She reciprocated nothing. She stood there like a lifeless doll, as one by one each person paid their respects to her and the ashes that were now in the ground.  
  
All she could do was stare at the characters carved on the tiny monument (if you could even call it that). The concept of time didn’t matter to her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her. The flowers that were left in front of the grave were already starting to wither from the pelting rain. She couldn’t believe that this was happening.  
  
Flashes from four days ago replayed in her memory like it was just yesterday.

* * *

_It was a rainy night, and Haruhi sat in her small two bedroom apartment that she called home._  
  
_ She was studying for final exams at the University. Since graduating from Ouran Academy, she had been accepted to one of the most prestigious Universities in Japan—with a hefty scholarship that fully paid for her tuition and books. She was now finishing up her second year at the University and getting ready to apply to law school._  
  
_ It looked like her life was finally taking a step in the right direction._  
  
_ The books scattered across her living room floor showed just how hard she was studying these days._  
  
_ Besides deciding to take the accelerated program (she would be graduating next year) at the University, she also held down a part-time job at a small café close to her home. The money she earned from that job she would keep in little savings account, getting ready for her departure from the home she shared with her father and into her own place for law school._  
  
_ She was happy. She was content._  
  
_ And then there was a knock on her door._  
  
_ She opened it to reveal two police officers standing there._  
  
_ “Miss Fujioka,” one of them greeted, his voice sounding low and official._  
  
_ “May we come in?” the other asked._  
  
_ Haruhi nodded and led them into the small, book-scattered living room. She quickly started stacking the books to make the place look presentable._  
  
_ “Miss Fujioka… it’s not necessary for you to do that. We just have some news… you may want to sit down.”_  
  
_ She looked up at the officer who spoke. Her heart felt like it was about to drop to her stomach. No one ever said those words when there was anything but bad news._  
  
_ So she sat down._  
  
_ The officers had taken off their hats._  
  
_ “We are sorry to inform you that your father was in an accident.”_  
  
_ And her heart dropped to her stomach._  
  
_ “Is he…?”_  
  
_ “He was walking home from his place of employment. A car lost control in the rain and skidded off the road, hitting him and pinning him to a telephone pole. He was dead on impact.”_  
  
_ Now she felt sick._  
  
_ “Th-thank you,” she told the officers._  
  
_ They stood there for a few seconds, observing her reaction. Then they both nodded and took their leave._  
  
_ When the door shut behind them, Haruhi ran into the bathroom and became ill._

* * *

She stood there in the rain, replaying the scene in her head over and over again.  
  
She hadn’t shed a tear since everything started. She worked like a robot getting all the preparations done for the funeral and memorial service.  
  
Her father looked after her, even in death. He had taken out a 200,000 yen life insurance policy in the event of his untimely death. It not only helped pay for his funeral, it would also spare her a few more months in their apartment. But that was it. She still had one more year at the University. She would have to dig into her savings to make up the difference for living expenses, and that would leave her with… not enough for law school.  
  
For the first time in a very long time, she felt completely alone.  
  
A hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts.  
  
When she turned to see who it was, it was the last person she thought she’d ever see.  
  
Standing there was Kyoya Ootori. Dressed in a black suit and holding an umbrella over himself, his face was expressionless as he said, “Haruhi, you’re all wet. Let’s get you someplace dry.”  
  
She didn’t even bother fighting with him as he slipped his jacket over her shoulders and led her into a black limousine parked nearby. As she slid herself inside, he took the seat next to her. Haruhi purposefully kept her gaze away from his. She already had an idea about his presence at her father’s funeral.  
  
After a long, uncomfortable silence she said, “I know why you’re here, Kyoya-senpai. You needn’t worry about me not finishing University next year. You can let your father know that his compay made no mistake in giving me that scholarship.”  
  
She never moved her eyes from boring a hole into the floor of the limousine.  
  
“I came to pay my respects to your father, Haruhi,” he explained to her in his usual cool and calm demeanor. “Naturally, my father was worried when he found out you had your finals extended to a later date. When he found out why, he sent me here to pay my respects, and—for the lack of a better phrase, check up on you.”  
  
“I’m fine,” she told him, her head still drooping down.  
  
“I would have come anyway, you know,” he said in response, his voice becoming just a little softer. Then he added, “If you would have told me yourself.”


	2. Chapter 2

The eyes that looked up at him were empty. The twinkle of hope he saw in her eyes years ago just wasn’t there anymore. No doubt that the events of the past few days had a part in that. Her father’s passing must have taken much more out of her than she was showing.  
  
“We haven’t seen each other, let alone talk to each other since your graduation three years ago,” she replied. “I didn’t think you’d really _care_ what was going on in my life.”  
  
She sounded so empty saying those words, yet he could detect a little annoyance as well. Kyoya couldn’t help but feel pity for Haruhi, but he was also surprised that she was able to hide her actual feelings so well. He supposed it was normal though, after what she’d been through.  
  
“Despite what you may think, we were all good friends in high school. Just because we all went our separate ways afterwards doesn’t mean we wouldn’t care. We did know Ranka too,” he said to her. “I’m sure the rest of them would have showed up as well, if you would have let them know.”  
  
He was actually trying to sound consoling, but unfortunately it mustn’t have come out that way. She showed a small pained expression for just a moment, but then it was veiled over again. He expected an insulting quip of some sort to come out of her mouth, but one never did. She just turned her gaze back to the floor of the car.  
  
Kyoya took a moment to observe the girl sitting next to him.  
  
Physically, she wasn’t the girl he remembered. First of all, her hair had grown a little. Yes, it was still short, but not boyishly so. If it wasn’t dripping wet from the rain, he could imagine it was styled in a bob type of hairdo. The black dress suit she wore was soaked and it showed off her noticeably now-womanly figure. The clothing clung to her curves and her developed bosom. He admonished himself inwardly for staring.  
  
He cleared his throat and said, “My father has made me aware of your current financial situation, Haruhi. He’s asked me to relay an offer to you.”

* * *

_“Kyoya, please meet me at my office. I have matters to discuss with you.”_   
  
_His father was never one to beat around the bush. He made sure to leave his own office right away, so not to keep his father waiting. As a matter of fact, he left as soon as he hung up the phone._   
  
_Though he gained his father’s respect after the stunt he pulled during the Ouran Fair, Yoshio Ootori was still not a man to mess with. At least his father let him go his own route with his life._   
  
_After graduating Ouran Academy, he went on to study accounting, and unsurprisingly graduated at the top of his class at the University. Now he owned and ran his own accounting firm, though it still worked closely with Ootori Industries, only because of his shared surname. His father never meddled with him and his business—which meant that he was proud, and that he actually cared his son was doing well on his own._   
  
_When he got to his father’s office, his father urged him to sit down. He had a serious expression on his face._   
  
_“Kyoya, son, how is business going?” he asked._   
  
_“Father, we are two busy men. Can we please cut this small-talk and get to why you called me over here?”_   
  
_His father cleared his throat. “Business as always. Now then, do you remember your friend in high school, Haruhi Fujioka?”_   
  
_Kyoya hadn’t heard that name for a very long time. So needless to say, he became just a bit intrigued and nodded in response to his father’s question._   
  
_“As you already know, the company has given her a full scholarship to the University. She is a highly motivated and high-ranking student. We’re hoping to get our hands on her once she receives her certification as a lawyer.”_   
  
_This was all known information. Why was his father going off on this tangent?_   
  
_“What is your point? You wouldn’t have asked me here unless there was one,” Kyoya told him lazily._   
  
_“You see… we’ve received some information about her performance at the University. She had asked for an extension for her final exams. Upon investigation, we found out that due to the death of her father…”_   
  
_Kyoya perked up at his father’s last comment. Death of her father? Ranka was dead? What happened? And why was he finding out this way?_   
  
_“…she asked for some time off,” his father finished. “Now Kyoya, I think it would be in our best interests to go pay our respects. It’s only fitting. And…”_   
  
_And?_   
  
_“…this is the perfect opportunity for you, my son.”_   
  
_He was confused at what his father was implying. Kyoya gave his father a questioning look._   
  
_“I know that you’ve declined my proposal once before, but please, think about it this time. Miss Fujioka would be a good wife. With her smarts and her drive for success, she would be a valuable asset to our family. Yes, I realize that she is a commoner, but I am certain that she will be a success in the professional world,” Yoshio Ootori explained with a serious glint in his eyes._   
  
_Kyoya was speechless. He couldn’t believe that after almost four years he was bringing this subject up again. And especially at a time like this!_   
  
_“Father, that is the most deplorable idea I’ve heard…”_   
  
_He held up a hand to keep him from finishing. “It’s just an opportunity to take advantage of, Kyoya. I’m not ordering you to do so. Though this is not the only matter I wanted to discuss with you. About Fujioka, that is.”_   
  
_“What is it?”_   
  
_His father continued with, “Through my investigation, I found out her financial situation is highly unstable after her father’s untimely death. Her father had left her with a sufficient amount of money, through a life insurance policy, that was enough to pay for the funeral, yet not enough for her to live off of for the next year.”_   
  
_After knowing Haruhi for as long as he did, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the situation she was currently in._   
  
_“I have a proposal to offer her. Since the company has been paying for her education, we also feel partially responsible for her welfare outside of school. It would not be in either of our best interests for her to be homeless,” his father explained._   
  
_“And where are you proposing she stay?”_   
  
_His father smiled. “After much thought, I’ve decided to offer her our family’s vacant guest house for the next year. She would have her privacy, of course. Upon graduation, she would then move out of course. That is… unless you decide to make her your wife.”_   
  
_Kyoya grimaced at his father’s bluntness. He just wouldn’t let it go._   
  
_“Has she given you a positive answer yet?” Kyoya asked._   
  
_“I haven’t asked yet. That’s the favor I wanted to ask of you.”_   
  
_His eyebrows raised to contemplate what his father was asking of him. He would be seeing Haruhi after three years of no communication whatsoever to offer her shelter at his family’s guest house, after her father’s death. It was a ridiculous idea, and there was no doubt Haruhi would turn down the offer. She was too proud to take it. That was Haruhi Fujioka , after all._   
  
_Just as he was about to answer his father, his father held up his hand to keep him from talking._   
  
_“It might sound like a little too much for her, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Again, I’m not going to order her into the guest house. If she feels she can live on her own, then so be it. But… I do think you should go pay your respects to her father. You did know him.”_   
  
_Kyoya knew his father was right. His eyes darted to the ground, knowing that he would be making a trip to see Haruhi Fujioka under the saddest of circumstances._   
  
_Yoshio Ootori stood up, signaling the end of the meeting._   
  
_“You should hurry to the cemetery, Kyoya. The memorial service started about an hour ago.”_

* * *

He had made it to the cemetery by the end of the service. Not wanting to interrupt, he sat inside the limousine at a distance, watching through the window. He watched as the small group of people gathered around the small grave dispersed, until Haruhi was the only one left standing there. He continued to watch her as she stood there, getting soaked by the rain that was falling. He would let her have that time alone with her father, though she would have probably caught a cold had he not ushered her into his limousine.  
Now there he was, about to relay to her his father’s offer.  
  
“Let me guess,” Haruhi said bluntly, “your father knows about my financial situation, and he’d like to offer me a handout.”  
  
He could hear the touch of disgust in her tone. As depressed as she was, she still never missed a beat.  
  
“It is of my father’s wishes that you stay at our family’s guest house for the remainder of your time at the University. I wouldn’t call it a handout, Haruhi,” Kyoya told her calmly. “This comes purely out of concern for your welfare. I doubt it would be in your best interests, as a scholarship student, to be left homeless.”  
  
She looked up at him again. This time, she looked a little taken aback by what he just said, yet the veil of sadness was still visible through her subtle expression.  
  
“Kyoya-senpai, what makes you think I’d be homeless? I have a job, you know. What’s left of my father’s insurance policy will help take care of the next few months. Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m some destitute little girl who can’t take care of herself,” she told him, expressing her bubbling anger as best she could. She continued to stare at him for a second, and then looked down again. “Just take me home.”  
  
With that, he signaled the driver to leave.  
  
It was exactly what Kyoya expected her to say. Sometimes, the girl could be too proud for her own good.  
  
When they pulled up to her apartment, they sat in silence for a moment.  
  
“You should take this with you.”  
  
He handed her his umbrella. She took it hesitantly.  
  
“Thank you. It was nice seeing you again, Senpai,” she said and reached for the door, but before she could step out, he grabbed her hand. “What…?”  
  
He slipped her his business card as he said, “Think about it. Weigh the pros and cons, if you have to. Just give it some thought.” Then he let go of her hand.  
  
“Goodbye Kyoya-Senpai,” she said as she left the car.  
  
He watched as she made her way to her small apartment that she used to share with her father. When she was inside and he saw a light turn on through a window, he signaled his driver to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Haruhi got into her apartment, she shut and leaned against the door. Kyoya Ootori was the last person she thought she’d see at her father’s funeral. And the conversation she’d shared with him was certainly unexpected, considering the circumstances.  
  
He was as cool, calm, and collected as always. She should have known that there was more than one reason why he was at her father’s funeral. There was always more than one reason he did things. That was just Kyoya. It was a wonder that he even found out about it.  
  
Then it dawned on her. Kyoya’s father was probably the one pulling all the strings. What could Kyoya possibly gain from attending her father’s funeral? Seeing her probably wasn’t on the top of his list, if it even was on his list at all.  
  
For starters, she hadn’t seen him since his graduation from Ouran Academy. That was three years ago. He said his goodbyes to the Host Club and went on his way. Through various channels, she had heard about him heading up his own accounting firm. No doubt his name had much to do with his success.  
  
This led her to think about why Yoshio Ootori was offering her what basically translated to room and board, just a step up. It was already amazing to her that she won the one and only scholarship his company was offering that year. She was grateful, but would it offend Mr. Ootori if she didn’t accept his offer for room and board? There was definitely a hidden agenda there, but she just couldn’t quite place her finger on what that was.  
  
Haruhi straightened and flipped on a light. It was then that she noticed how horrendously messy the apartment was. Her school books were still scattered on the floor of the tiny living room. She hadn’t bothered to clean up since… well, since. At least the kitchen wasn’t a disaster, since eating hadn’t been her main concern over the past few days.  
  
She sighed to herself and decided it was time to clean. It would be a good way to get her mind off of everything for a little while. She went to her room to change out of her wet clothes and into something more appropriate for cleaning. Then she got to work.  
  
The next few hours were spent cleaning every nook and cranny of the apartment. She dusted, swept, wiped down, and re-organized every single item in the apartment, down to the salt and pepper shakers. It kept her busy, all right. She didn’t stop for a break, not even once.  
  
The last room that was left was her father’s. She stood at his closed door for a moment, a little hesitant to slide open the door. She hadn’t seen his room since the morning of. She wasn’t particularly sure she wanted to go in, but she would have to at some point or another. At some point she would have to do something with his personal belongings. At some point, she would have to face a flood of memories of her father.  
  
Haruhi decided that this was a good a time as any. The sooner the better, she figured. She let out a long breath that she had been holding and slid the door open.  
  
Her father’s scent filled her nostrils instantly.  
  
Her eyes scanned the room silently. The bed was made to perfection, his pajamas neatly folded atop. There were few articles of clothing strewn about—mostly clothes that her father was opting to wear to work that night. She felt her heart drop to her stomach again.  
She slid the door shut before she could be sick to her stomach again. Maybe now wasn’t the time to do this. Maybe waiting a few days would be for the best. She closed her eyes momentarily to get her bearings, and then she walked over to the coffee table and plopped herself down in front of it.  
  
_Get a grip of yourself, Haruhi,_ she scolded herself silently.  
  
A few deep breaths later, she was staring at Kyoya’s business card that was sitting on the coffee table. Of course, it had all the pertinent information on it—his business phone number and his fax number, and the address where his firm was located. She couldn’t ignore the little mental nudge to turn over the card. What she found written there really didn’t surprise her too much.  
  
_Think about it._  
  
Underneath his neat handwriting was another phone number, which Haruhi assumed was his cell.  
  
Normally, she would have torn up the card and thrown it in the garbage. Instead, she grabbed a notebook from the pile of school books sitting next to the coffee table. She turned to a blank page and started scrawling numbers on it.  
  
She wrote down the balance in her savings account, the remaining balance to her father’s checking account, and what was left of his insurance policy. She added the numbers up. It came out to a pretty hefty figure. Then she did some calculations for the pay she would receive from her part-time job for the next year. The final amount came out to be adequate, and she added that to the last sum. Next, she multiplied the monthly rent by twelve, considering she would be staying there for at least that much longer. That produced another hefty figure, which she subtracted from the previous running total. Finally she subtracted an amount adequate enough for other living expenses through the year, and came up with… a negative number.  
  
“Crap…” she mumbled to herself as she looked over her calculations one more time. They were definitely accurate. Well, as accurate as she could estimate.  
  
Financially speaking, she was in the hole. Sure, she would be able to live comfortably for the first couple, maybe even few, months. It would only be a matter of time that she would be scrounging for money though, and thinking about how she would be able to get herself through law school after this year was making her stomach do flip flops again.  
  
She contemplated giving Kyoya a call right then and there, but she realized she couldn’t—not until she exhausted every one of her options. She would be returning to work in a week. She realized that she would have been at her job for two years in a few weeks. Maybe she could ask her manager about giving her a raise a little before her two year anniversary? She could also pick up some extra hours since it was the summer, and she’d only be taking two summer courses at the University.  
  
Another thought sprung to mind—she could always move to a smaller, one bedroom apartment of her own. Surely that would cut down on rent, though she would have to take some time out of her days to go apartment shopping. She would even need to take a couple of days off to move herself in.  
  
Haruhi scribbled in her notebook furiously, calculating every single option that came to mind. She found very little places where she could actually save money, and most of her calculations were more speculation rather than hard facts. She did manage to get the final calculation from a negative number to a positive one, which was a good thing, but it wasn’t enough. Even though she would still be working through law school, she would still need a significant amount of money to, well, live.  
  
She started to feel defeat on her end. With a hesitant hand, she flipped to another empty page in her notebook and drew a line down the middle, creating two columns. One column she labeled “Pros” and the other she labeled “Cons.” Then she started scribbling away again.  
  
About an hour later she stopped writing and looked over her work. The list of Pros definitely outweighed the list of Cons. The “Pros” column had a multitude of reasons why living there would make her better off. Among those being, “no financial problems,” “free room and board,” and “privacy.” There were only two things listed under the “Cons” column. One was, “living on the Ootori family grounds,” and the other being, “alternate motive for Yoshio Ootori” with three big question marks following it.  
  
Her eyes found their way back to Kyoya’s business card. She picked it up and stared at his number for a few seconds. She even contemplated dialing it now, but the small amount of pride she had left in her kept her from doing so. She decided to wait.  
She would study and take her final exams, while returning to her part-time job in the meantime. That took priority in her life right now. She could accept the offer whenever she decided she needed to, and that was that.  
  
On that thought, she set down the business card and stood up, making her way to her bedroom for some much needed sleep.

* * *

Haruhi didn’t realize that it had been two weeks since her father’s funeral. She was so busy that time flew by like it was nothing.  
  
She spent the extra two weeks of free time studying for her finals, which were graciously extended to her. Her manager at work let her take as much time off as she needed, but she only took off what she needed to handle all the funeral arrangements. So she was back to work in less than a week. It really did help keep her mind off of everything, and she even picked up a few extra hours as a result.  
  
It was a nice, spring evening so she didn’t mind walking home. Besides, it saved her some money by not taking a cab.  
  
Now that she was done taking her final exams, she had the time to spend relaxing and enjoying herself, though she mostly spent it thinking. Sometimes her mind would drift off somewhere while she was at work, and someone would have to tug on her shirt to bring her back to the world.  
  
When she finally made it back home, she threw her keys on the counter and headed towards her bedroom to change. She shot a glance and the door next to hers before entering her own. She hadn’t tried going into her father’s room again since the day of his funeral.  
  
So instead of going through her door, she stood in front of her father’s instead. She slowly slid open the door. The room smelled a little musty, no doubt from the closed door and everything that hadn’t been moved in two weeks. Unfortunately, there was now a thin layer of dust everywhere. She took a deep breath and stepped through the threshold.  
  
The breath she exhaled caught in her throat. For the first time in a long time, she felt tears welling up in her eyes and a sob threatening to escape her throat. Now, for the first time since her father’s death, her emotions were catching up with her—all because she had to clean out his room. She ended up crumpling to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.  
  
If something like this was going to happen every time she opened her father’s bedroom door, she would never be able to clean it out. She stood up slowly, wiping the few tears that fell from her eyes and made her way back into the living room. She noticed her notebook sitting on the coffee table, still opened to the “Pros” and “Cons” list she had made two weeks ago.  
  
Picking up a nearby pencil, she wrote down under the “Pros” column, “not having to see my father’s room every day.”  
  
Her gaze went to the business card placed nearby. She picked it up and grabbed the phone. Her had shook a little as she dialed the numbers, and when she put the phone to her ear she hoped that no one would answer.  
  
“Hello?” Kyoya’s voice sounded on the other end.  
  
Sounding and feeling defeated, Haruhi said, “Kyoya-Senpai, it’s Haruhi. Before you say anything, I just wanted to tell you that I’ve made a decision. I’m going to take your father’s proposal.”  
  
There was a moment of silence from his end. She was almost thinking that he was actually surprised at her answer, and maybe at a loss for words. Then he said, “I’m taking you thought this through completely, and that’s why you’ve contacted me later rather than sooner?”  
  
_Typical Kyoya,_ Haruhi thought to herself. “Yes. I think staying at your family’s guest house would be good for me, and it would help ease my financial worries for the next year,” she told him flatly and honestly, though she left out the part about not having to see her father’s room every day.  
  
“Ah, I see…” he replied a bit quizzically. “I’ll let my father know. Will you be ready to move in by the end of the week?”  
  
Haruhi gave some thought to her answer. Of course, she could be packed and ready to go by then, but would she be able to have her father’s room packed up as well? Today was Tuesday, so she would have to find the courage to do it before the end of the week.  
  
“I… should,” she answered a little unsurely.  
  
“Then I’ll have the movers come by on Saturday morning. Is that fine by you?”  
  
“Yes… yes. That would be good,” she said to him, finally conceding defeat to herself.  
  
“Good. Then, I’ll… see you,” Kyoya said, seeming to stumble over his last words. It was the first time Haruhi ever heard him do that.  
  
“Bye, Senpai,” she said a little absently and hung up, still thinking over his little stumble in speech.  
  
She shrugged it off quickly as she set the phone down on the coffee table, her thoughts returning to her father’s room. She stood up and decided to try again. She could at least try to clean up the few clothes that cluttered the room.  
  
Again, her emotions started flooding back to her as she entered the room, but this time she was able to hold back her tears. She made it over to his bed and sat down. The sheets rumpled up around her. Almost instantly, a memory from when her mother died came into her mind.

* * *

_A sleepy Haruhi walked into her father’s room one night. She stood at the door, holding a teddy bear and rubbing her eyes._   
  
_“Yes, Haruhi, darling?” her father asked as he sat up in his own bed._   
  
_“I miss Mommy,” was all she said._   
  
_A pained look quickly crossed Ranka’s face. Then it softened and he gestured for his daughter to come sit next to him._   
  
_When Haruhi was comfortably snuggled next to her father, he told her, “I miss Mommy too, my dear, sweet child. I miss her too.”_   
  
_Ranka kissed his daughter’s forehead and just held her._   
  
_Eventually, they fell asleep._

* * *

Haruhi curled up in her father’s bed, and she finally let the tears come out. She lay there, curled up in a little ball, and cried like a little child. She cried like she should have cried after her mother died. She let every ounce of feeling she had left bottled up inside her out.  
The memory of her father made her wish someone was there to hold her this time around, but there wasn’t.  
  
She was alone.  
  
And eventually, she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday afternoon.  
  
Haruhi was packing up the last of her things into boxes. The moving company that Kyoya hired were coming in about an hour. It was about that time to make sure the apartment was completely cleaned out—all pictures and décor taken off the walls, nothing left in cabinets and drawers, and no food left in the fridge.  
  
It had been quite a busy week for Haruhi. She had gotten back to her normal schedule at work and school, even though her school workload was much, much lighter, since she was only taking two summer courses. Ever since she had taken Mr. Ootori up on his offer, she had also been busy cleaning and packing up the apartment, whenever she had free time.  
  
After unloading a good cry and falling asleep on her father’s bed nights before, she finally mustered up the courage to clean it out. She neatly packed all his clothing into boxes, which she then donated to a nearby shelter. While she was cleaning out the closet in her father’s room, not only did she find her mother’s box of Zuka Club memorabilia (which made her laugh hysterically for a good while), but also a rather large box stuffed all the way in the back.  
  
When she opened the box, she was struck speechless (if she had anything to say, of course). Inside was her mother’s wedding gown. It hadn’t been preserved properly, so it had been tinted subtle yellowish color due to time. Haruhi carefully lifted it out of the box and did what any girl would do—she went to the mirror and held it in front of her, imagining how her mother looked on her wedding day.  
  
It was a beautiful wedding dress. Simple, yet beautiful. The train wasn’t extravagantly long, and there were no intricate designs or frills littering the dress. It was probably as simple as you could go. Haruhi wondered, as she gazed in the mirror in front of her, if her father meant to give the dress to her if she were to get married. She decided to keep the dress, no matter what her father’s intentions were.  
  
Knowing that she was moving into a house that was already furnished, Haruhi decided to rent out a storage space for the furniture that was at the apartment. She would keep it there until she got her own place, after she graduated from University. The only piece of furniture she would be taking into the Ootori guest house would be the short, little armoire that held the small memorial to her mother, and now her father as well.  
  
There was a knock on her door as she was sealing up her last box. Haruhi assumed it was the movers, so she hurried to answer the door.  
  
To her surprise, it wasn’t. Kyoya stood at her door, with his normal stoic, unreadable expression on his face.  
  
“Kyoya-Senpai… What are you doing here?” she asked, honestly surprised.  
  
“My father asked me to come and pick you up, since you don’t have any other way to get to the house,” he explained, the sun glinting off of his glasses.  
  
He was right. She didn’t own a car, and she usually walked or took public transportation to get anywhere she needed to go. For today, she assumed that she would get a ride in one of the moving vans. Now knowing that Kyoya hadn’t come of his own accord, she was a little peeved.  
  
“Thanks for the concern, but I think I can get there myself,” she said with disdain in her voice. She turned and walked back into the apartment, leaving Kyoya standing at the threshold.  
  
“You can be so stubborn sometimes, Fujioka,” he said with a sigh. He continued to stand at the door with his hands shoved in his pockets. “You’ll need me to get into the estate, Haruhi. Even though security had been notified of your arrival, you will still need me to get past them, and to let the movers in.”  
  
She hated it when he painted her into the corner. It always made her feel uncomfortable, like he was a cat and she was a mouse.  
  
“Well then, Haruhi, will you be accompanying me?”  
  
With a sigh of defeat, an emotion she was getting to know all too well when it came to Kyoya, she told him, “Fine, but we’re going to the storage space I rented out first. I want to make sure the movers get everything in with no problems.”  
  
He nodded once in agreement.  
  
“So, senpai, are you going to stand there the whole time we’re waiting for the movers to get here?” Haruhi asked, her back still turned to him. Once her emotions calmed down a bit, she turned to him and gave him an earnest smile as she said, “I’d offer you some tea, but I packed it all up yesterday.”  
  
A bit taken back by her sudden change in mood, he took a step inside. He walked up next to where Haruhi was leaning against a kitchen counter, and leaned against it as well, his arms folding across his chest.  
  
After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Haruhi said, “I never imagined that I would be moving out of here under these circumstances.”  
  
Kyoya looked at her.  
  
“I always thought my father would be here to send me off or something, saying that I’d always have a place to come home to,” she continued as she stared off into space. She shook her head gently and looked at Kyoya. Then she said, “I know I don’t seem all that grateful for this, but I am… and honestly, I’m glad it was you who came by to give me this chance.”  
  
Kyoya wasn’t quite sure how he should react to this, so he just gave her a little smirk and asked, “Were you expecting someone else?”  
  
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Your father could have easily sent one of his lackeys to present this offer instead of bothering you. He could have also asked someone else to come pick me up today. Don’t get me wrong, Kyoya-senpai, I know you’ve been done with your father pulling your strings for quite some time now, but I’m glad you chose to do it,” she told him.  
  
He was always impressed with her intuition. She could always see things no one else could see. It was never a guess—it was always a matter-of-fact statement with her. So he responded with, “You’re right. My father doesn’t pull my strings anymore. But don‘t get me wrong, Haruhi, I chose to see you because I knew you and your father well. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t pay my respects to him… And as far as this arrangement with my father, it was just a coincidence. Though, I would have never found out about Ranka-san’s death had it not been for my father.”  
  
“Hm,” she sounded as she looked back off into space. “I guess that there’s no equivalent exchange here, then. That surprises me, though, Senpai. You were always one to do something with the expectation of gaining something in return. I doubt you’d have changed your point of view, even in the past few years.”  
  
She knew what she said was spot-on, considering the silence that followed.  
  
It was always like a dance when they conversed. When she would pose a question to him, his answer would be honest, but indirectly so, like there was that much more to his answer than meets the eye. Her response to that answer would almost always be an intuitive statement, or truth, that he would never refute. He would just give her a smirk, turn his attention to something other than her, or pose an unanswerable question and that would be the end of their conversation.  
  
“You are absolutely correct, Haruhi,” he told her after that moment of silence. “I haven’t changed, but is it wrong for me to show sympathy over the death of someone I knew? Is it wrong for me to show concern for an old friend? Had you told me yourself that your father had passed, I would have been there anyway, regardless of my father’s wishes.”  
  
Before Haruhi could think about a response to that, there was another knock on her door.  
  
“Must be the movers,” she mumbled as she walked over to the door and let them in.  
  
It didn’t take long for the movers to pack up her things. Before Haruhi knew it, they were ready to be on their way. She said a silent goodbye to the empty apartment before she closed and locked the door behind her for the last time. Then she made her way to the apartment complex’s administrative offices to drop off her key. It felt weird not to have the key on her keychain anymore.  
  
She paused a moment before she stepped into Kyoya’s car, and took in her surroundings. This would be the last time she’d be here. It was like a chapter in her life was closing, and she was about to open to a new one.  
  
“Haruhi? Let’s go,” Kyoya said from the driver’s seat.  
  
She nodded and ducked into the car. She looked out the window as they drove off, the small apartment complex that she grew up in getting smaller, until it disappeared into the distance.


	5. Chapter 5

The drive to the Ootori estate was a silent one. Haruhi kept her gaze steadily out the window, while Kyoya kept his eyes on the road. It didn't seem like either one of them wanted to continue the conversation they were having earlier, which was a relief to both of them.  
  
Haruhi knew that the Ootori's were rich, but she didn't know to what extent.  
  
When they pulled up to the gate of the estate, there was a security booth with a guard sitting in it. Obviously, security was a main concern for them. They did own their own private police force after all.  
  
Kyoya briefly explained the situation to the guard while they were stopped.  
  
The guard looked over to Haruhi and said, "It's nice to have you, Miss Fujioka. Now, if you'll just sign this and give me your identification for a moment," he handed over a clipboard, "we'll be all set and there will be no problems getting you on and off the premises from now on."  
  
She signed the clipboard quickly and handed it back with her identification. Security really wasn't a joke around here. At least her safety wouldn't be a concern while she stayed here. After another minute or so the guard handed her back her ID.  
  
"Will you be staying tonight, Mr. Ootori?" he asked Kyoya.  
  
"No," he answered and then rolled up his window. Then he started driving down the ridiculously long "driveway" which led to the estate.  
  
There were no words to describe the sights she was seeing. To the right was a large flower garden. There were cherry blossoms planted everywhere, and various flowers such as lilacs, lilies, and roses. She rolled down her window to get a better view and the scent of honeysuckle filled her nostrils. As they passed the garden, she noticed what looked to be a glass building to her left. As they got closer, she noticed a swimming pool inside of it.  
  
"It's a gym," Kyoya explained, finally initiating the first conversation they'd had since her apartment. "The pool is heated, of course. It's actually quite refreshing in the middle of winter. The part of the building you can't see from the outside houses equipment such as exercise machines and weights. Of course, you'll be able to use it, since you'll be living here. The main house is coming up to your left."  
  
She looked ahead of them and saw the largest mansion she'd ever seen in her life. It was a very modern-looking building. Like the gym, the front was basically a window, exhibiting a very large, very posh living area. She couldn't believe the sheer size of the house. Of course at one point, there were at least six people living there, but still. There was probably enough room for twelve. Haruhi couldn't wrap her brain around the idea of Kyoya living in a place like this.  
  
"The servant's quarters are next door to the main house," he continued to explain. "It's good to know where they are… just in case you need anything. All the servants are quite pleasant. There is never anything they won't do."  
  
Haruhi gave him a look that borderlined on disgust.  
  
"Well, in any case, your house is coming up on the right," he pointed out, obviously taking note of her heated look.  
  
She took her eyes off of him and glanced to her right. They were going over a small hill now, and right over the hill was a large house. House was the correct term for it, not like the mansion and building they had passed before. It was big—at least to her it was. It was a huge step up from what she'd grown up in.  
  
The house didn't really fit in with the modern look of the rest of the estate. If anything, compared to the rest of the place, it looked quaint, even dwarfed. The siding on the house was a pale yellow, and the windows were bordered by white shutters. From the front, the windows on the first floor had flower boxes hanging below them. The front porch wrapped around the front of the house and had two white wicker rocking chairs placed perfectly on either side of the front door. There was also a garage attached to the house that would unfortunately go unused.  
  
It looked so out of place, she couldn't help but stare. She barely even noticed when Kyoya pulled into the driveway. The house was pretty, yes; there was no doubt that it was kept up well. It looked like the type of house a newlywed couple would have, complete with the groom carrying his new bride over the threshold image.  
  
"This was my parents' first home," Kyoya said, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
It was like he was reading her mind again. She hated when he did that.  
  
"Before my father made his fortune, they lived here. My oldest brother was raised here until he was four. After my other brother was born, my father bought the land around this place and built everything we passed by. So they all moved into the mansion and decided to use this as their guest house," he continued to explain.  
  
That was an interesting story to Haruhi-- sweet even. This house had to hold some sentimental value to his parents, since they kept it for so long.  
  
"Are you ready to go inside?"  
  
Haruhi nodded, opened the car door, and stepped outside. She couldn't help but notice the color of the sky as they made their way to the front door. Clouds were starting to overcast the sunny afternoon, and there was a slight breeze blowing through the air. It looked like there might be a storm coming. Haruhi shivered a bit, hoping that it would only be rain.  
  
"I think it's sweet," Haruhi finally said, taking her mind off the impending weather. When Kyoya gave her a questioning look, she explained herself by saying, "They kept this house, even though they could have demolished it when they built this place. It must be pretty dear to them. So I think it's sweet."  
  
Kyoya gave her a little smirk. "I don't know if there's really a reason why they kept this place, but it does make a nice guest house, don't you think?" He inserted the key into the lock and opened the door.  
  
The inside of the house didn't surprise Haruhi one bit. It kind of looked like a model home inside. The furniture matched the décor perfectly. Everything was clean and spotless. There had to be maids cleaning the house considering the cleanliness, and the fact that there were fresh flowers adorning the coffee table in the living room.  
  
"The master bedroom is upstairs, along with two other bedrooms. You can pick wherever you'd like to sleep. Everything else is pretty self-explanatory. You can poke around after I leave," he explained to Haruhi. He handed her the key to the house. Then he said, "This is yours now. If you need anything, every phone in here has a direct line to the servants' quarters. Just dial 5, and they can give you whatever you need."  
  
While Kyoya was talking, the movers had taken most of her boxes in. There really wasn't much left after their stop at the storage space-- only a few boxes of her clothes, books, pictures, and some doodads that she wanted to keep with her. The last item the movers hefted in was the small armoire that would hold her parents' memorial.  
  
"Where would you like us to put this, Miss Fujioka?" one of the movers asked.  
  
"Uh... you can just leave it here. I'll place it in my bedroom later," she told him, though she wasn't quite sure how she would get it up there by herself. "Thank you so much."  
  
The mover nodded and he took his leave. When he was out the door, her attention went back to Kyoya. He stood there, hands in pockets, staring at her. Once the door closed, he said, "You know you're going to need more than just yourself to take that upstairs."  
  
"I'm sure I can handle it," she told him and waved her hand, dismissing his comment.  
  
There was an awkward silence for a minute, and then Kyoya said, "Well, I'll be seeing you then." He nodded his head once and started for the door.  
  
Haruhi's hand was on the doorknob before he could do it himself. He gave her a look as she said, "Technically speaking, this is my house for the next year. It wouldn't be courteous of me to not get the door for you." She turned the knob and opened the door. She gave him a smile and added, "Thanks, Kyoya-senpai. Good night."  
  
She went to shut the door behind him as he walked out, but got distracted by the color of the sky. It had turned a bit darker from when she had seen it before. It was humid, and the breeze was picking up, just a little. It was definitely going to rain, but she still wasn't sure if it was going to storm. She shivered a little and went to close the door as she watched Kyoya make his way to his car.  
  
To her surprise, just before he got to his car he turned around and said, "Better get inside. It looks like rain."  
  
She smiled at him again and shut the door.

* * *

After knowing Haruhi Fujioka for as many years as he did, it should have occurred to him that she was deathly afraid of storms. Instead of thinking about it, he got in his car, backed out of the driveway, and headed for the front gate. The rain started falling as he made his way over the hill, hiding the guest house from his sight in the rearview mirror.  
  
Halfway to the front gate, he saw lightning flash and the crack of thunder booming in the distance. That's what probably shifted his gears into motion. He put his car in park and thought for a moment.  
  
_She's afraid of thunder,_ he thought to himself, and being alone in a large house (larger than what she was used to at least) that was foreign to her probably didn't help the situation either.  
  
He quickly turned the car around and sped back to the house. It only took him a couple of seconds to get back, but by then the thunder and lightning was becoming pretty steady-- a flash of light, and then a boom.  
  
He hurried to the front door and contemplated knocking at first, but thinking about it more made him realize that there was no chance that Haruhi would actually answer the door. It was this situation that made him thankful to have a spare key to this house. He unlocked the front door and made his way inside.  
  
The house was dark. The storm must have come so quickly that she had no time to turn on any lights. She was somewhere in this house, probably hiding. Where, he didn't know.  
  
"Damnit," Kyoya mumbled to himself.  
  
His first thought was to check upstairs, since it seemed that downstairs was empty. He didn't hear any whimpering or any sort of noises coming from there. So he made his way upstairs. He heard the faintest sound of shuffling coming from somewhere down the hall. He poked his head into the first bedroom-- nothing. Then the second bedroom-- nothing. His hand finally settled on the doorknob to the bathroom, where he heard shuffling and little whimpers.  
  
Kyoya opened the door to find Haruhi huddled in a little ball, arms curled up around her knees, sitting in the bathtub.  
  
"Haruhi?" His voice was a whisper, so he wouldn't scare her more than she already was.  
  
She looked up at him from the tub. The look on her face showed unabashed fear. She was shaking a little, and he could swear he saw tears rimming her eyes. He wasn't sure what to do. She just looked at him with those big, lucid brown eyes that were expecting him to do something. Yet, the only thing he could think to do was hold his hand out to her, hoping that she'd take it.  
  
Her hand came up for a second, about to grab for his, when a crack of thunder shook the house. She immediately withdrew her hand and buried her head in her arms, attempting to muffle the noises coming from outside.  
  
Kyoya sighed and let his hand drop down to his side. He was a little frustrated with the situation. For a brief moment he thought, _What did Tamaki and Hikaru do in this situation?_ Though that thought passed by rather quickly, because what he did next was very uncharacteristic of him.  
  
He stepped into the tub and sat down, facing her. She apparently didn't notice that he did. He grabbed her hand, which took her by surprise, and pulled her towards him. It was a rushed movement, which made it feel a little awkward at first. Haruhi felt stiff against his chest, obviously surprised by his actions, but when another roll of thunder passed by she instinctively clung to him, grabbing his shirt in her hands. When the noise passed she relaxed against him, still a little shaky, anticipating the next boom of thunder.  
  
He avoided saying anything, and just held her while she clung to him. Every time there was a flash of lightning and crash of thunder, she'd tighten her grip on him. It was the first time Kyoya had to comfort anyone, so he tried his best. Every time Haruhi clung to him, he tightened his arms around her small figure. Eventually and almost instinctively, his hand came up to caress the top of her head.  
  
Kyoya didn't know how long they stayed like that, but he held her for as long at it took for the storm to pass. He felt Haruhi relax against his chest, her breathing becoming slow and steady. Strangely enough, he didn't feel like letting her go just yet. He actually felt comfortable with her in his arms, as the rain continued to fall outside. It felt almost natural as he continued to run his hand over her hair. Something felt right.  
  
Unwilling to confront the emotions running through him, he finally spoke.  
  
"Haruhi," he said as gently as he could. "Are you better now?"  
  
It took a moment for her to answer. She slowly pushed herself up to look at him, as he unwrapped his arms from her. The loss of contact sent a small chill through him. He placed his hands on her shoulders so he could steady her, and maybe to steady himself as well.  
  
She nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine," she told him a little breathlessly.  
  
So he stood up and offered his hand. He helped her out of the tub and they walked out into the hallway, where he flipped on the light.  
  
"Thank you, Senpai," she told him, after their eyes got used to the light.  
  
What was he supposed to say to that? No problem? Don't mention it?  
  
Probably noticing he was at a loss for words, she said, "You don't have to say anything. I'm just glad you came back." She gave him a much more honest smile and added, "How about some tea? It might take me a minute to find, but..."  
  
"No need," he told her. "I have to be going anyway."  
  
It was a lie, but the increasing awkwardness he was feeling made him want to go.  
  
Haruhi gave him a quizzical look. She knew he was lying.  
  
Kyoya adjusted his glasses and caved in. "All right. I'll stay for a bit."  
  
They made their way downstairs and into the kitchen, Kyoya flipping switches to turn on lights along the way. When they got into the kitchen, Kyoya took a seat at the table, while Haruhi started searching for a teapot and kettle to warm water. She opened cabinets and drawers, looking completely lost in the vast amount kitchen utensils and appliances.  
  
"You know, I'm sure someone can bring over some tea if you pick up the phone," he said absently as he was eyeing her.  
  
"Just because you're used to it, doesn't mean I am. It may sound foolish to you, but I prefer to do menial things like this on my own. Why have someone else do something you can do yourself?" she explained to him as she continued to search for what she needed. "Besides--"  
  
She was interrupted by a couple pots and pans threatening to fall on top of her from the cabinet she was searching. She let out a small cry as the two pots came tumbling down. Luckily she moved out of the way quickly enough, and the loud crash of the pots hitting floor rang through the house. Haruhi blushed embarrassingly as she said, "Whoops."  
  
Kyoya walked over to her to help pick up the pots. "Nothing's broken, so I think you're safe," he said, half joking. He picked them up off the floor and placed them easily back where they belonged. "I think we should skip the tea for now. How about some food instead? I'm sure we can order out."  
  
Haruhi, looking thoroughly embarrassed and somewhat relieved at his alternate suggestion, nodded her head in agreement. Then she started laughing, producing a rather confused look from Kyoya. As her laughter died down a bit she said, "I was just wondering what would've happened if I _did_ break something."  
  
This made Kyoya smile. Yes, a _real _smile.  
  
So they ordered pizza. Not from the main kitchen on the estate, but from a normal pizza shop that was located in the nearby town. It was partially an attempt for Kyoya to appease Haruhi's wishes to keep her normalcy. Any awkwardness Kyoya felt before seemed to melt away as they conversed over pizza and soda. It was the first time in a long time that he actually enjoyed himself in someone else's company.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about cutting the smutty part out of this chapter to keep the rating I initially listed here. However, I didn't think I could seamlessly do a blackout without cutting out something that would be important later on in the fic. So, inevitable rating change just for this chapter... for now.

The summer ended as quickly as it began. It was time for the school year to start again. This would be the beginning of Haruhi's last year at the University, and she would be applying to law schools as well. With her perfect grades and her unyielding determination, Haruhi was sure that she would get into any school she applied to. She was sure of it. Besides, it was pretty much a given that she would be graduating at the topof her class.  
  
Haruhi had enjoyed the summer at the Ootori estate. She was promised her privacy, and they upheld that promise. Haruhi loved taking walks around the flower garden, even picking some for bouquets to put in the house. No one ever bothered her, nor did she really even meet any of Kyoya's family. Either they were purposely keeping out of her way, or there was really never anyone home. She wanted to thank Yoshio Ootori herself for everything, but the man was never readily accessible.  
  
Really, the only Ootori she talked to was Kyoya.  
  
After the night she moved into the house, the night that Kyoya came back during the storm, she and Kyoya became... well, they got to know each other again. Haruhi wouldn't have defined them as friends exactly, not then anyway. Besides, he had left only a few minutes after they finished eating, leaving her to do the cleanup, which wasn't much of a surprise to her. What did surprise her however, was that he showed up again about a week later. His excuse was that he wanted to “check up” on her, at his father's discretion. That may have been true, but the slight expression on his face told her otherwise. She wondered if he actually wanted to come, and that was the perfect excuse to do so.  
  
So he came over, and she served tea. They talked a little, mostly about arbitrary things-- work, school, etc, and then he left. It was an odd visit, but what was even odder was that he actually came by to “check up” on her again about another week later. The visits became more frequent throughout the summer, from once a week to twice a week, and even three times a week. By the end of the summer, Haruhi began to classify Kyoya as a “friend” again.  
  
She enjoyed herself with Kyoya. He didn't seem to have the air of coldness he had in high school. They stayed quiet when there was nothing to say, and spoke when there was something to talk about. There was some kind of silent understanding between them. If there was anything that he wanted to know about her, he wouldn't ask because she knew he had alternative ways to find out. It didn't bother her much anymore; that was just Kyoya being Kyoya. If anything, she actually felt much more comfortable now, because there was no pretense involved. Well, at least she thought there wasn't.  
  
She had asked him about it a few days ago.

* * *

_Haruhi enjoyed summer afternoons, when they weren't too hot of course. The days where there was a light breeze in the air were her favorites. It provided her an opportunity to visit the gardens of the estate to pick some flowers for the house._  
  
Armed with a pair of shears and a basket, she started on her way to the gardens. It was maybe a fifteen to twenty minute walk there, but it wasn't a bother. It gave her time to her own thoughts, and it was relaxing. Sometimes, she hoped to see someone from the main house, just so she could introduce herself and give her personal thanks.  
  
She was halfway to her destination when she saw a figure walking towards her. She immediately knew who it was, just from the silhouette-- Kyoya.  
  
“Kyoya-senpai!” she called as she waved and continued to walk towards him. When they reached each other, she asked, “To what do I owe this visit?”  
  
“I was visiting my mother and I saw you,” he explained with a shrug. He clearly wasn't going to go into any more depth with that answer.  
  
“I see... Well, I was on my way to pick some flowers. Care to join me?” she asked as she smiled at him.  
  
He nodded and they started to walk again. They spent the rest of the way there in silence. When they were well into the garden's grounds, Haruhi finally said, “This whole time, I wondered about you, senpai. I can't help but think that you've got something up your sleeve; something you're not telling me. Part of me wants to believe that you enjoy coming to see me, and yes, I do believe it. But then another part of me thinks that-- no, knows that you don't do something without gaining anything. So what is it Kyoya-senpai?”  
  
“You never cease to amaze me with your intuition, Haruhi,” he told her with a smirk. After a brief pause, he continued with, “My father has made his wishes for me known, quite clearly, as of late. He wants me to make you my wife.”  
  
Haruhi stopped dead in her tracks. Needless to say, she was more than surprised by his statement, she was completely shocked into stillness.  
  
Kyoya had taken a step or two ahead of her before he noticed she stopped. So he stopped walking as well, but he didn't turn around when he said, “I know it's the last thing you want. It just happens to be the last thing I want as well.”  
  
She relaxed a little, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit offended. He was right, of course, about her not wanting to marry him. Heck, she didn't want to marry anyone. Not yet at least. And Kyoya actually wanting to marry her, well that was just preposterous.  
  
“Me spending time with you makes him believe that I will, that's all,” he said and shrugged. “And I won't. Unless... you want me to.” He looked over his shoulder and gave her is charming, yet devilish grin. Then he turned his head away. “But I'm sure you don't. So you'll go on to law school after this year, and I suppose we won't speak much after that.”  
  
Haruhi blinked. She didn't quite know what to say. So this was all just a charade? She suddenly felt very, very stupid.  
  
“Don't think too much into it, Haruhi. I have this situation taken care of,” he told her as gently as he could. Then he turned to her, with another smirk playing on his lips. “And... I'm not lying when I say that I do enjoy spending time with you.”  
  
So they started walking again. Haruhi picked a basket full of flowers, and then they headed back to the guest house to have some tea.

* * *

The year passed by rather quickly. All the studying and work paid off, and by the end of her final semester she was on cruise control. She had already received acceptances from various law schools, but she still had yet to choose where she would attend. After a few weeks of filing through her acceptances, she filed it down to two schools offering her scholarships-- one in Japan, and one in America.  
  
While it would be great to stay in Japan, study in Japan, and work in Japan, Haruhi somehow knew that there would always be something... lacking. It just wouldn't be her. If there was one thing she knew about herself, it was that she was always looking for something bigger and better. Staying in Japan would help her reach her goals, but keep her from experiencing new things. So when she looked at the two brochures on the coffee table, she picked up the one that read, Harvard University School of Law.  
  
And then it was decided. She was going to America.  
  
It took another couple of weeks to settle her enrollment for the fall semester. It had been quite a while since she used the English language, so when she spoke to the Dean via long-distance telephone call, she had a little bit of trouble, but it wasn't too bad. Haruhi decided that she would have to brush up a little bit before she left Japan.  
  
While she was on that phone call, the Dean offered her an early orientation program so she could get used the customs and the on-campus lifestyle, and she would also be able to audit some of the summer courses. It was actually a great idea, though she would be leaving three weeks earlier than she planned. Upon further contemplation, Haruhi decided to go through with it. It would certainly give her the opportunity to experience American culture before she started classes.  
  
Meanwhile, Kyoya continued his visits. She told him about her decision to go to an American law school. His reaction was of utter surprise at first, but his expression soon softened to that of understanding. In some ways, Kyoya understood why Haruhi chose to do this. He knew that she was always up for a challenge, and this was her way of finding one. Besides, there really wasn't much left here in Japan for her to stay.  
  
The evening before she was going to leave, Kyoya visited her for what would be the last time. At least, the last time in this house. She opened the door to an oddly-smiling Kyoya, with a bottle of what looked like shochu in his hand, which he dubbed “a going away present.” It was sweet of him.  
  
“Are you all packed?” he asked as they settled themselves in the back sunroom of the house.  
  
“Yes,” she answered as she brought in a tray with ice and glasses. She set it on the glass coffee table in front of the couch they were sitting on. She held up the probably ludicrously expensive bottle of shochu.  
  
“Are you expecting we drink this tonight?” he asked. His eyes glanced from bottle to the glasses on the table.  
  
Haruhi shrugged. “I really don't have any more room to pack it. Besides, it would be ruined if anything happened to it during the flight.”  
  
He gave her a grin. “It'll be a waste if we don't finish it. And to think, it's a very rare bottle.”  
  
Ignoring his empty protest, she unscrewed the top and began to pour it in the glasses over ice. She handed one over to Kyoya, raised her own glass said, “To a new beginning.” Then she took a small sip of her drink. “You know Kyoya-senpai, it's such a shame that I haven't been able to thank your father for his hospitality.”  
  
“Don't worry about it, Haruhi,” Kyoya told her as he took a sip of his own drink. “I'm sure he knows how thankful you are.” Then changing the subject he asked, “What time is your flight tomorrow?”  
  
“Eleven-forty-five, I think.”  
  
“I'll have a driver ready for you by nine-thirty then?”  
  
She nodded in agreement. “Thank you, senpai. And not just for that, for everything. I'm going to... miss this.”  
  
Kyoya smiled at her. Though he didn't say it, he would miss this too. He would miss coming to visit her on random days. He would miss walking through the gardens with her. He would miss simply being around her. There was an odd, empty feeling coursing through him, and he flashed back to when he held her in the tub that first night. He remembered how comfortable she felt in his arms. They hadn't had any contact like that since that night, and it was weird how he was remembering that moment now.  
  
“I guess my leaving brings this little charade to an end, huh?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
“Charade? Haruhi, _this_... may have started out as one, yes, but I've grown to enjoy spending time with you, believe it or not.”  
  
Haruhi's eyes darted to the floor. “Sorry. It's just... I'm never sure with you, Kyoya-senpai.”  
  
“Haruhi...” he said, setting his glass down on the table. He leaned in closer, took his index finger and tilted her chin up to look at him.  
  
Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, the surprise apparent on her face from the small action. All words left him because of those damned eyes. They were thoughtful, intelligent, intuitive, honest... and beautiful. Right now, they actually looked like they were about to burn a hole in his soul.  
  
What happened next was a surprise to both of them.  
  
Kyoya leaned in slowly and planted a soft kiss on Haruhi's lips. When he pulled away, her big, brown eyes met his again... and she was blushing.  
  
“Sorry,” Kyoya mumbled as he sat back in his seat.  
  
He leaned towards the table to grab his drink, but Haruhi's hand caught his arm. She was noticeably blushing, and her gaze darted to the floor. Then she said, “No. Don't apologize.”  
  
She paused, locked her eyes with his and said, “To tell you the truth, part of me was hoping... that would happen. So don't be sorry. I just...” Her voice hitched and she took her eyes from his for just a moment before she continued with, “I just want to pretend like there was never another reason for you to be here.”  
  
The arm that Haruhi was still holding (more like gripping) came up to caress her cheek, and she slipped her hand off. Then Kyoya said, “Let's pretend then, shall we?”  
  
Then he brought his face to hers and kissed her again. Her response wasn't immediate, but she eventually relaxed her body and went with the flow. The kiss was soft and tender, yet again, but not before too long, Kyoya's tongue caressed Haruhi's bottom lip gently, asking for entrance. Her lips parted breathlessly and their tongues started a dance-- twirling and exploring, finding each other's unique taste. Kyoya pulled her closer to him, his hands cupping her face.  
  
She fell on top of him, her hands gripping his shirt to steady herself. His hands trailed down from her cheeks, down her neck, her arms, and settled on her tiny, yet curvaceous hips. Kyoya's intent was to be gentle with her-- to just test her boundaries. If she didn't want to go further than this, he would understand. He wouldn't force her into anything, even though right now he wanted this. He wanted the feeling of her in his arms back. Somehow, this felt natural-- it felt completely right.  
  
To Kyoya's surprise, Haruhi's grip on his shirt loosened and her hands apprehensively began to slowly unbutton his shirt. She hesitated and pulled away from him at first, looking into his eyes like she was asking for permission. Kyoya grinned at her and placed his lips on hers again as she continued with his buttons. Meanwhile, his hands slid underneath her t-shirt and caressed the silky, smooth skin of her back and his mouth left hers, slowly trailing across her cheek and down her neck. He loved the sound of the sigh that left her lips.  
  
“Pretend...” Haruhi sighed as Kyoya's mouth trailed down her neck, gently nipping where her shoulder met her neck. With his hands caressing her back and his mouth teasing her neck, she felt a pressure build up in her stomach. She managed to free the last button from his shirt and pushed it open, running her hands down his subtly muscular chest and abdomen.  
  
His response was to pull her shirt off. Underneath, she wore a simple white cotton bra. He never thought something like that would look so sexy on a woman, but apparently Haruhi pulled it off. She blushed, as if almost embarrassed, as his eyes roamed her body. One of his arms reached behind her and unclasped her bra, which she let fall to the floor, and Kyoya could feel the pressure in his stomach start to grow, just looking at her breasts; they were small, yes, but they were still beautiful. He took one of her nipples into his mouth and gently sucked, procuring little whimpers from her.  
  
She tangled her hands in his hair, almost holding his head to her chest. “Kyoya...” she whispered as she let her emotions take over. It was the sweetest sound she could ever make-- his name on her lips, without the bother of honorifics. Her hands moved slowly from his hair as her fingertips traced along the sides of his neck, over his shoulders, and down his arms. She wanted to savor this moment.  
  
Her light, gentle touches were driving his libido up and up. Kyoya had been with many women before, but never before had they been able to ignite his desire with a single touch. Though he wanted Haruhi, and wanted her now, he wouldn't rush this. This was too precious of a moment to waste. If he... _cared_... for her, then he wouldn't treat this like those one night stands he was all too familiar with, because for him, Haruhi would never be a one night stand. She would never be a woman he could forget.  
  
In one swift motion, Kyoya secured one of his arms around her waist, and turned her so she was being cradled in his lap. He lifted her up then, and planted another soft kiss on her lips before he started walking back into the main parts of the house. Haruhi looked up at him, the look in her eyes questioning his actions. This time, he kissed her temple tenderly and said, “The bedroom would be much more comfortable.”  
  
To this, Haruhi grinned. Like she had learned many years ago, it was quite pointless to argue with what the Shadow King wanted. He'd get what he wanted... eventually, and she wasn't about to disagree with him this time.  
  
He carried her through the living room, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. There, he gently laid her down onto the bed and then bent down to press his lips to hers once more. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, gently tugging him down to lie next to her. His hands roamed her body once more, stopping only to squeeze her breasts and tease her nipples, and then caressing her bare, flat belly.  
  
Kyoya hesitated for a second before he began slowly unbuttoning Haruhi's shorts, and then slid his hand down to her nether regions. Haruhi gasped as she tore her lips from Kyoya as his fingers brushed along the moist spot on her panties. When his fingers moved her panties to the side and started to caress her opening, his mouth began trailing kisses down her neck, her chest, her breasts, and her stomach. His fingers eventually found her sensitive spot, and began rubbing it, eliciting moans and sighs of pleasure from her.  
  
Haruhi instinctively thrust her hips upward, wanting more than just the teasing. Her eyes opened in the midst of their growing haze to see Kyoya pulling down her shorts, along with her underwear, and discarding them on the floor. They met gazes for just a moment, and gave each other a small smile as Kyoya removed his glasses and set them on the bedside table. Just before he could resume his position on the bed, she sat up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.  
  
He sat at the end of the bed and just looked at the beautiful woman laying on the bed before him. Though his vision was less-than-perfect, the sight of Haruhi was. Her hair, which was now shoulder-length, was splayed on the pillows. Her face was flushed, her cheeks were a soft pink color, and her lips were swollen from their kisses. The usual distant look in her eyes was replaced by a veil of want and desire. Kyoya stared until the vision of Haruhi etched itself into his mind permanently.  
  
She watched as Kyoya's eyes roamed her body. The look on his face looked somewhat appreciative-- she'd never seen it before. She wasn't able to contemplate it for long, because Kyoya decided to resume their lovemaking. He lifted her legs over his shoulders as Haruhi shuddered. She knew exactly what was coming, and when his tongue slowly lapped at the length of her folds, she couldn't help but let out a moan. When his tongue found her nub, she gasped and thrust her hips upward again. The movements of his tongue alone could have sent her over the edge, if he didn't do anything else soon.  
  
Like he was reading her mind, as it always seemed to be the case, she felt his finger separate her folds just enough to enter her core. She couldn't form words as his finger started moving in and out, and curling at just the right angle to bush up against her sweet spot. All she could do was pant and gasp and let out the occasional, “ah.” When he added another finger, she was about ready to burst from all the pleasure she was feeling. His fingers, his tongue... they were an amazing combination, and she was about to reach her climax.  
  
Haruhi's world burst into a million colors then. Her body shuddered as she let her orgasm take over her body, and she let the waves of pleasure float her away.  
  
“Kyoya...” she mumbled as she was winding down.  
  
He was laying next to her now, his head being propped up by his arm and hand. He had a smirk on his face-- that charming, Shadow King one that usually made women melt; the one that Haruhi was usually unaffected by. She had to admit, Kyoya was a handsome man, though. Without his glasses, he was less intimidating, and she had full freedom to gaze into his eyes without the annoying glare.  
  
She rolled onto her side to face him as she returned the smirk. Then she leaned in and kissed him as she traced her fingertips over his shoulder and down his side. As she got to his waist, she noticed that he still had his pants on. She broke their kiss and told him, “I don't think this is fair, senpai. You seem to be terribly over-dressed.”  
  
Her hands started to fumble with his belt as he chuckled as said, “'Senpai'? Now, Haruhi, don't you think we're past the honorifics now?”  
  
All she answered him with was her own little chuckle as she succeeded undoing his pants and pulling them off, along with his boxers. As soon as she completed her task, Kyoya managed to flip her back onto her back, pinning her arms above her head. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his hips. Kyoya had a playful smile on his lips as he hovered over her.  
  
“You told me once that I had nothing to gain by sleeping with you,” he told her.  
  
“Do you?” Haruhi questioned, her smile somewhat faltering.  
  
He leaned down and kissed her softly then whispered in her ear, “Only you.”  
  
She had no time to answer him because that was when he buried himself inside of her. They both moaned out in pleasure as Kyoya slowly moved in and out of her-- pulling almost all the way out, and then plunging himself into her again. It wasn't much sooner until Haruhi began thrusting up to meet his hips, wanting to feel more of Kyoya inside of her. Her legs tightened around him as their pace and their pants increased. Then in one mind-blowing moment, they came together.  
  
They continued this dance over and over again, during the course of the night. They reveled in each other's bodies-- tasting, touching, and enjoying the feel of their skin against the other's. Not many words were spoken in that time, and when they were done, they fell asleep in each other's arms, thoroughly sated, completely exhausted, and both content.

* * *

Haruhi was lucky that Kyoya was such a sound sleeper, because when her alarm clock started beeping at five in the morning, she could have sworn it could have woken up the entire estate. Then again, she could have definitely been in a sound sleep herself after the events of the previous night. She couldn't help but smile while replaying the memories in her mind.  
  
She rolled herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to shower. When she was fully dressed, she cleaned up what was left downstairs and neatly folded Kyoya's clothes to put on a chair in the bedroom. In the process, she took a peek at Kyoya, who was still asleep. It was amazing what could get by the guy when he was sleeping. Haruhi had managed to finish the clean-up downstairs and pack the remainder of her carry-on bag without him even making a peep.  
  
It was six o'clock when she decided to call for a car to bring her to the airport. It would be best to leave things like this, she thought. This... whatever she had with Kyoya... probably wasn't a good thing. If anyone in the Ootori family found out about their little rendezvous, Kyoya's father would probably set a date for their wedding, and that was the last thing she wanted. Marriage just wasn't an option in her mind right now.  
  
She watched him as she slept, until the beep of a car horn outside interrupted her reverie. Haruhi sighed as she walked over to the sleeping Kyoya and placed a gentle kiss atop his head-- the only form of goodbye she could think of. He stirred a little, but didn't wake up. She silently placed the key to the house on the beside table, next to his glasses, then she turned and headed towards the door.  
  
When she got to just outside the door, she heard movement from the bed and a sleepy voice mumble, “...love you... Haru...”  
  
Haruhi smiled as she turned to look back at Kyoya. He was still definitely asleep, and his words were of the incoherent sort. Obviously, they weren't words he'd say freely to her. Must've been a good dream.  
  
She continued to walk outside, and as she slid into the black Mercedes that was taking her to the airport, she let out a sigh and asked the driver, “I know it's a bit early for my flight, but I'd like to go visit my dad's memorial. Is that okay?”  
  
The driver nodded in response, and as the car pulled away from the house, Haruhi watched as it eventually disappeared from the view behind her. She leaned back against the leather seat of the car and whispered, “Goodbye, Kyoya.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, the start of the new chapters I've written just recently! I hope you enjoy it as much as I've been writing it. It's a short little chapter, but don't worry, more is coming soon. Nothing like a 10-year hiatus, right? I promised long ago that Tamaki would be making an appearance, and this is that chapter that happens. Hopefully he doesn't disappoint.
> 
> I did have to edit a few things from what I posted on FF.net, because timelines. I finally straightened that out, and corrected a tiny part. It's probably not that noticeable, but if you catch it, good on you. :)

_ **One Year Later** _

Haruhi sat in her usual seat in her favorite cafe a couple blocks from the dormitories, sipping a cup of coffee and reviewing her notes from class. This place had become her favorite place to study during the course of the year—her favorite table being the one situated in the back-most corner, away from the bustle of people out front, and quiet enough for her to focus on what she was working on. Besides, the coffee wasn’t bad either.

Her first year in law school was quite demanding, to say the least. The professors at Harvard were challenging, and it didn’t help that her English language skills weren’t quite where they needed to be at first. She was thankful for the three weeks she spent on campus before the semester began to brush up on those skills. Though her start was rocky, she made it through with nothing but flying colors. The Dean was impressed enough with her to give her a paid internship for the following summer, working for a prestigious law firm.

The money helped a lot. Though her scholarship paid for school and her room and board, everything else had to be paid on her own dime—books, supplies, a laptop, and everyday living expenses. The job she had kept while in Japan gave her a small financial cushion when she made it to America, and the only reason she was able to have that was because of the Ootori family and their generosity after her father passed.

She hadn’t been back to Japan since she left the summer before. She didn’t think she would go back until she was done with school.

The morning she left was almost a distant memory to her now, but the ache never left her heart.

* * *

_ Haruhi laid her hand on the smooth marble of her father’s memorial and closed her eyes. With everything that happened, she wished he was here with her now. She was never one to ask her dad for advice, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t need him around. His presence was all she needed, and this was the closest she was going to get. _

_ “Dad… I just want to tell you that I’m still following my dream. In a couple hours, I’ll be on my way to America. Harvard Law, can you believe it? I’ll make you and mom proud. _

_ This is the last time I’ll be here… for a while. When I come back, I’ll really be a lawyer. It’s weird, to think that. I guess maybe… your little girl is all grown up.” _

_ She let out a sigh. _

_ “Don’t worry dad, the Ootori’s took good care of me. And Kyoya… he looked after me too.” _

_ Flashes of the night before ran through her mind, and it made her smile. His touches were gentle, his kisses were sweet, and the affection that reflected in his eyes was undeniable. He treated her with such care before they both drifted off into a deep sleep, holding each other close. _

_ She didn’t realize it then, but during the course of that summer, Kyoya had lifted her out of her depression just by being there. The friendship that blossomed between them was a happy byproduct of that, and she was thankful for it. _

_ And then they crossed that line last night. _

_ Haruhi couldn’t help but wonder if they messed that up for good. _

_ She didn’t want to stick around for the answer. She had made up her mind on Harvard long before last night, and it was going to stay that way. Kyoya and her… the two of them, in each other’s arms… that would have to stay a happy memory. It would be better that way. _

_ They pretended for one night. No expectations. No consequences. That was it. _

_ Her thoughts lingered on the beautiful raven-haired boy with the stoic eyes, and a smile meant only for her. _

_ She would keep that memory in her heart. _

_ “I’ll miss you,” were her final words as her hand slipped away from the stone. _

* * *

Sometimes she’d think of what she left behind, when she had a moment of downtime. It was probably for the best, she’d say to herself to make the feelings go away. Her life was here now, in America, where she always wanted to be; her dreams finally turning into reality. If she ended up here indefinitely, then that was how things would stay.

And she really did enjoy her time in Boston. It was a lovely city—clean, historical, and most of all, she felt comfortable here. Her English only got better in the year she spent here. She was now able to carry on conversations well enough both socially and professionally. Although she did miss speaking in her native tongue every once in a while.

It was totally by chance that she noticed the familiar tuft of blond hair and a flash of violet eyes enter the front of the cafe. She knew she was staring, but didn’t care. It had been years since she had seen Tamaki Suoh.

He had returned to France after their first year at University, where he decided to continue his studies. At first they spoke often—a call every day, that turned into a call a week, a month… until it slowly dissipated to a letter or email updating her on his life every now and then. To be honest, it made Haruhi a little sad to think that's what their entire relationship had devolved to after... after everything.

That was how she told him that her father had passed, upon Kyoya’s behest. In the back of her mind somewhere, she wanted to tell him herself; maybe give give him a call, finally after years of simple emails. Inevitably, she chickened out and wrote him an email instead... although she wasn’t surprised that she immediately got a call from Tamaki after he read it. He offered to come visit in that same phone call, but mysteriously got quiet after she told him her living situation. They returned to email communication again after that.

As if he could feel her stare boring into him, Tamaki turned around to meet her eyes. Being found out, Haruhi smiled and gave a small wave. Tamaki returned her smile with his much more brilliant one and quickly made his way over to her.

She stood up immediately, and let him lift her in a long-overdue embrace.

“Haruhi!!!” Tamaki exclaimed, squeezing the life out of her. “It’s been so long!”

“Senpai… I can’t breathe.” It was true. He was kind of hindering her breath. He released her then, setting her back on the ground. “What are you doing here?” she asked, smiling up at the boy who gave her her first real kiss.

“I had some business affairs to tend to,” he told her.

Haruhi was very much aware of how much Tamaki had taken over the Suoh Corporation. With their dealings in private education around the world, Tamaki had been traveling often in the years he had been given more and more control. At least, that's the gist she got in his email updates every so often. Sometimes, it was hard to pinpoint where he was in the world at any given time of the year.

“When I was set to come to Boston, I hoped to bump into you, but I knew that chances were slim,” he explained. “I’m glad I did. You look as radiant as ever.” His band came up to brush along the ends of her hair, which had now grown just past her shoulders.

She blushed a little at the touch. How he could still do that to her after all these years was not a surprise to her. That was the Tamaki she knew, and the Tamaki she had loved long ago.

“So tell me, how has your first year treated you?”

They settled themselves at the table, and struck up an easy conversation, like they’d seen each other every day since the end of high school. It wasn’t long before Tamaki brought up the previous year.

“You should have told me. I would have been there,” he said, their conversation taking a more somber tone. “I visited him, you know. After.”

“That means a lot,” she replied, a grateful smile tugging at her lips. She let out a sigh before she continued with, “There was just so much, too much, to do. I didn’t think that—I know I was wrong about this now—it would have been something worth troubling all of you about. You all went on with your lives, and I did too.” In the back of her mind, she really meant the two of them. Their relationship had strained enough for her to keep him away from her pain; to shut him out. Maybe perhaps she didn't think he'd care about it as much after how they ended things between them. 

Tamaki frowned. Haruhi hated seeing him frown.

“I know, I know. I regretted it after…” It was a while since she thought of him, and it made her smile turn just a bit happier. “Well, Kyoya. He knocked some sense into me.”

It looked like Tamaki understood. The expression on his face looked almost serene then.

“He told me.”

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. _How much did he tell Tamaki exactly?_ she wondered.

“About last summer. I was worried about you, of course. I’m just glad that since I couldn’t be there with you, he was,” Tamaki explained. “I didn’t expect him to tell me that he visited you often.”

“He did,” Haruhi replied, letting go of a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Then she smiled, thinking about the previous summer. “It was nice, having him around. Did you know his father was still trying to coerce him to take me as his wife?”

That made Tamaki laugh. “It’s not _ so _ unbelievable, Haruhi. Any man would be lucky to have you.”

Again, he made her blush. It wasn’t so long ago that she thought she’d become Tamaki’s wife. It just didn’t pan out that way. Eventually they discovered that they were two very different people, with very different futures ahead of them.

“So how long are you in Boston for, Tamaki-Senpai?”

“For the next week. I have some business to tend to at MIT,” he answered. “Maybe you’d like to come to dinner with me tomorrow night?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting from this chapter on, I’m going to be moving to weekly updates. I’ll be aiming for Saturday night posts, since I have the most free time on Saturdays. I hope you enjoy this installment! :)

“I thought you’d appreciate this restaurant. You looked like you were missing home a little,” Tamaki said as they pulled up to the curb.

When Haruhi stepped out of the car, she looked up to see the sign for _ The Eliot Hotel, _ one of the poshest hotels in the area. She was well-aware that it housed _ Uni, _ one of the best restaurants in the city. As far as she’d heard, this was _ the _ place to go for some good sushi. In fact, it was rated as number one in a list she had happened to come across in an article one day.

It wasn’t one of those super fancy restaurants she had expected him to take her; the menu was _ izakaya-_style. Not quite traditional Japanese fare, but imaginative nonetheless. There were plenty of other people in the restaurant, not dressed to the nines, but still nice nonetheless. The price tag was still quite high, which made her sigh inwardly, but of course Tamaki was more than insistent in covering the bill. She already knew the fight wouldn’t be worth it.

They sat at a corner table that gave them just enough privacy in the open concept dining room. When the food arrived and she took a bite, her expression was that of pure bliss—eyes closed, savoring every flavor that touched her tongue. Tamaki gazed at her, smiling, simply enjoying her delight.

“You’re right,” she said, setting down her chopsticks, a smile adorning her lips. “I do miss home sometimes, and I miss speaking to someone, not worrying if my words came out the right way.”

That made Tamaki laugh. _ Haruhi always says the cutest things, _ he thought to himself. Again, they fell into comfortable conversation with each other. Haruhi found out that he still kept up with the twins and that they would actually be in New York in the upcoming months. They were finally setting up shop Stateside, bringing their keen eyes for fashion overseas. Haruhi was proud of them.

Tamaki reached in his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “They actually feel bad about not keeping up with you. Hikaru gave me his number when I told him you were in America. He told me to give it to you next time we talk… and here we are. They both feel the same way I did about your dad, you know.”

Haruhi sighed. “I know… and Mori and Honey too. It’s just—I didn’t want to be a burden. All of you did so much for me, and I am eternally grateful.”

“It’s okay,” he said with an understanding smile. “I’m not trying to give you a guilt trip. After...” he paused, not really sure about bringing up his next thought, “everyone finally graduated, everyone was just expected to follow their families’ wishes. We were all being polished to take on our respective businesses, and somehow life happened… and we went our separate ways.”

She noticed Tamaki’s short second of struggle, and she understood. He didn’t want to bring up _ their _ past in particular. It wasn't something either of them wanted to talk about.

* * *

_ Haruhi sat in the gardens of the Suoh mansion, waiting for Tamaki to come meet her. Her hands were neatly folded in her lap, but it didn’t stop her from fiddling with the material of the skirt she wore. It would get wrinkled, she knew Tamaki would say, but he would find it somehow cute or endearing. _

_ A few weeks ago, Haruhi finished her first year of University. It had been an uneventful year, to say the least. With the lack of the Host Club, she was finally able to fully throw herself into her studies. While she did see the others often, she saw Tamaki just about every day. He’d pick her up from classes and they would enjoy each other’s company. Taking the step to be in a real relationship with each other was seamless after she graduated from high school. _

_ She loved him—there was no doubt in her mind. She loved his childlike innocence and the sparkle in his eyes when he made some new commoner discovery. She loved the way he could show unexpected wisdom at the oddest times. She loved the way her hand fit in his, how his lips felt on hers, and how safe she felt in his embrace. _

_ Haruhi was in love, and she knew it. _

_ Tamaki’s grandmother approved of their relationship long ago, which Haruhi was grateful for and mostly relieved over. Her dad on the other hand… well, he much preferred to take a blind eye to it all. She knew he was watching, though; probably waiting to pounce on Tamaki the moment he did something to upset his little girl. _

_ About a week ago, Tamaki had told her that his grandmother wanted to send him overseas for a couple weeks to observe the family’s international business. She told him that it was time for him to know about all of their family’s business dealings. While Haruhi completely understood, and would fare well without her boyfriend, Tamaki… didn’t quite enjoy the idea of not seeing her. _

_ He asked Haruhi if she would accompany him. She didn’t think it would be a good idea. Besides, she was taking a summer course at the University, and couldn’t miss classes. _

_ Then he started going on about how when they were married, he would refuse to go on extended business-related trips without her. How they would take their children to all these places so that they’d be immersed in different cultures. How they would see the world, and live happily ever after. _

_ Haruhi wasn’t thinking that far into the future, but when she did, she didn’t see herself as a globe-trotting mother of multiples, following her husband around the world at a whim. She had plans—set plans—for her future. She wouldn’t give up the career path she chose, all the education she needed to reach it, and all the hard work she had already put into it. _

_ Her dad saw the struggle she was going through and asked her about it. It was the first time she opened up to him about her relationship. Surprisingly and completely unexpectedly, he was very level-headed about it. _

_ “My dear Haruhi, Tamaki is head-over-heels in love with you, and you with him. Any idiot on the street can see it. But sometimes, that’s not enough. Paths can split and converge again later, over and over. That’s how life works,” her dad told her calmly. “Maybe you’re at a split. Maybe you need to go one way, and he’ll need to go another. If you really do love each other, you’ll come together again.” _

_ It was the best advice she’d ever gotten. _

_ It didn’t take Tamaki long to find her in the garden. They shared a kiss in greeting. _

_ “Now to what do I owe this visit from my lovely girlfriend?” _

_ Haruhi took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking… about what you were saying the other day. About us, traveling the world together and kids and…” _

_ “Yes, of course! It makes me so happy that you love the idea just as much as I do—“ _

_ “No, Tamaki. That’s the thing, I just… I don’t.” _

_ At that moment, she knew she shattered his dream. The expression on his face turned from absolute excitement to one of concern. _

_ She continued carefully. “I made a promise to myself a very long time ago, that I would make my mom proud. I did, I think. She’s proud of the person I’ve become… but for me, I think I’ve got a very different outlook on the future than you do.” _

_ Tamaki didn’t seem angry, but she saw sadness swirling in his eyes. “What do you see, Haruhi?” _

_ “Finishing school, getting my degree in law, working… a family isn’t on my radar yet, Tamaki,” she said with a sigh, trying to soften the blow. “Sure, seeing the world sounds amazing. But I’d like to do that on my own terms… and maybe not with a family in tow.” _

_ “I would never pressure you into doing something you don’t want,” Tamaki stated delicately after a long pause. “I would wait. I could wait.” _

_ Haruhi gave him a sad smile. “That’s the thing. I don’t want you to wait. Not for me, not for anyone.” _

_ “So what are you saying?” _

_ The words were on the tip of her tongue. She could see that he was prepared for the blow. _

_ “There’s a fork in our road, Tamaki. We should walk our own paths.” _

_ He stayed silent for a while. He seemed to be thinking, but she could see the tears glazing over his eyes. There wasn’t a way to make this easy. _

_ Finally, he spoke. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time, and I could love you forever… but if there’s one thing I know about you, you’re fiercely independent. I’m sorry that I put this on you. I shouldn’t have put you in a mold.” _

_ “I…” she started. _

_ He didn’t let her finish. “I don’t want to say that you’re right, because I don’t want you to be right. It’s selfish of me to want that, I know.” _

_ She took his hand and intertwined their fingers, and they stayed like that for a while. The words didn’t need to be said. They both understood. _

_ “Becoming an adult sucks,” Haruhi finally stated with a sigh. _

_ “Do you think we’ll ever walk the same path again?” Tamaki asked, the faintest glimmer of hope in his eyes. _

_ Without skipping a beat, Haruhi answered honestly, “I hope so.” _

_ Days later, Tamaki left in his private jet. _

* * *

After dinner, they took a cab to the Waterfront and walked along the water. Though it was summer, the night breeze caused goosebumps on Haruhi’s skin. Tamaki, ever the gentleman, draped his suit jacket over her shoulders.

“I’m glad we bumped into each other, Haruhi,” he said as they walked. “I forgot how much I enjoyed your company.”

“Me too.” She smiled, bumping into his arm in a friendly gesture. “If I’m being honest, I missed how easy it is to talk to you.”

“It’s good to know that some things just don’t change.” Taking a chance, Tamaki took her hand in his. 

She didn’t protest, and he didn’t miss the light blush on her cheeks. Their fingers intertwined, finding the familiar closeness of long ago. She looked up at him, and a smile graced her lips. He returned it tenfold--his eyes shone bright with hope.

They stayed like that until he dropped her off at the dormitories again. Walking her to the entrance, Tamaki took his second chance of the night—a kiss to her cheek.

Again, she didn’t stop him. It was a small action that meant the world to him, and his heart was happy. She blushed again.

“I’m here for another few days. Maybe we could… do something again?” he asked tentatively.

“I’d like that.”

As Tamaki walked back to the cab, he was beaming. Perhaps their paths would converge again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to post and edit on your phone is such a pain. I’m sorry if there are formatting mistakes!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

The next few days flew by quickly, but Haruhi was glad to have Tamaki in her life again. There weren't many more affectionate advances from Tamaki since that first night. Part of her was relieved, but part of her wondered if he expected more.

They went to the movies the next night. It was a more comfortable outing. They laughed more, relaxed around each other more. The night ended like the first. Nothing more than a kiss on the cheek.

The following night, they went to the Night Market. Haruhi had been before, with some friends from class, so she took Tamaki to some of her favorite vendors. Then they stopped to play some lawn games, sat on the grass, and simply enjoyed each other’s company over a couple beers.

It was like nothing had changed; it was like they simply pressed play on their relationship again.

The next day, she didn’t see him at all. He did send her a quick text saying he’d be in a meeting all day, and would be having dinner with some business associates that night. To be honest, she was surprised over Tamaki’s responsibility to his priorities. He had grown a lot in the time they were apart. For her, it was a good time to re-evaluate the last few days.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted more—if she even  _ could _ give him more. He was right about her fierce independence back then, and that was still a strong characteristic about her. She was just happy he was back in her life.

He would be leaving on Friday, and she didn’t want him to feel the need to come back often to visit—especially if he was expecting something to come out of this. She didn’t want to lead him on, or cave into feelings from their past.

Because she would say goodbye to him in two days.

For the second time.

* * *

Every time it rained, Tamaki thought of Haruhi. Every time he heard a rumble in the distance, he worried about whose arms she would fall into for protection. That is, if there was anyone else. Then he would feel bad that it wasn’t him, and that it hadn’t been for a long time now. He would feel bad that he broke his promise from long ago.

They made no plans for his last night in Boston, but he wanted to spend his last night with her… so he found himself in a cab on the way to her dormitories.

Outside, clouds rolled in. The air was heavy, and it smelled like a summer storm was on the horizon.

She looked surprised at first, but it quickly dissipated into a welcome smile.

“Hi,” she greeted. The question asking why he was at her door hung in the air around them.

“Hi,” he said back. At that, she took a step backwards to let him through the threshold. “There’s a storm coming,” he simply stated.

Haruhi gestured to the couch in the sparsely decorated living room where a blanket sat. “It’s been better this last year. Being in a big city where the power doesn’t really go out has helped. I keep the TV on loud enough, and I just huddle in a blanket. It’s not so bad.”

Tamaki gave her an incredulous look. He didn’t believe her. Then again, it’s been years since he’d been with her, held her,  _ protected _ her. In his mind, he still pictured Haruhi clinging to him, shaking, while he wrapped his arms around her and made her feel safe. He wondered if anyone took his place in these few years apart; wondered if he did as good as job as he did.

Instead of questioning her, he asked, “Do you care if I join you? I didn’t mean to intrude so suddenly.”

She eyed him curiously. “You can say it, you know. That you were worried about me. I wouldn’t have expected any different.”

Tamaki grinned sheepishly, his eyes darting to the floor. He could never fool her. “All right. I was worried… I saw the clouds rolling in, and I thought about you.” He looked up to meet her eyes again.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and smiled. “Come on, you idiot. Let’s watch a movie.”

They settled themselves on the couch of the night, Tamaki barely paying attention to the movie on the TV. When the thunder started rumbling in the distance, he felt Haruhi twitch, and he hesitantly placed his arm around her. When she didn’t protest, he pulled her close to him when the first flash of lighting lit the sky outside, anticipating the booming sound of thunder not far behind. She didn’t seem to mind the closeness; in fact, he felt her relax against him. It was just like old times, and Tamaki finally let out a long breath that he hadn’t known he’d been holding.

“You know, I  _ am  _ better at this now, Tamaki,” Haruhi mumbled to his right.

Another boom tore through the sky outside, and Haruhi shivered.

“I’m sure you are, but I’m here now.” His arm tightened around her more.

Outside, the storm raged on. Fortunately, this summer storm was short, and soon the sound of the thunder echoed further and further into the distance, and the rain pattered on the windows. Tamaki didn’t loosen his hold on Haruhi, though. His own inner storm raged on—should he attempt to move forward in their newly rekindled relationship, or was he reading the situation wrong? He knew he did that a lot, but this time was different. He didn’t want to be wrong.

“Haruhi,” he said softly. The rumbles of thunder were now faint, but the rain came in harder and harder.

She turned her head to look up at him. Her eyes were so honest, it hurt. She looked like she was fighting an inner battle herself—she looked… terrified? No, maybe just worried.

He didn’t want to look further into it.

So Tamaki let his free hand caress and cup her cheek. If he was wrong, so be it.

He let his lips touch hers—hesitantly, carefully—and when she didn’t stop him, he let himself run with it. He wasn’t in a rush, and he didn’t want to rush her into anything. If she was unsure of anything, he wanted her to be able to bring this—whatever it was—to a stop.

But oh, goodness did Tamaki miss her.

These last few days with her had been magic for him. Though he did try to move on after they’d first broken up, his heart was never in it enough to do so. He dated other girls, even had a relationship with someone for a few months, but it ended in a rocky fashion all because he wouldn’t let himself commit.

To his disappointment, Haruhi pulled away, her hand gently pushing against his chest.

“I’m sorry. That was too forward. I shouldn’t—“

“No, I should apologize,” she interrupted. “I don’t think this is a good idea.” She frowned. He hated seeing her frown. “I don’t want you to think this— _ us _ —is going to be something you want it to be. I’d be leading you on, and I don’t want to do that.”

“Haruhi—“

“Please, listen to me,” she interrupted calmly. Her voice was soft, yet strong at the same time. Honesty was always her strong point. “I do miss us. These last few days were wonderful. I found my best friend again.” She gave him a smile, and it wasn’t a sad one.

Tamaki held her gaze for a moment, and then pulled back slowly, his back resting fully on the couch once again. He closed his eyes and said softly, “I know you don’t mean to, but you are good at breaking hearts.”

“ _ Eh??? _ ”

“No, no, no,” Tamaki replied in defense. It was his last intention to offend her. “What I mean is you… you have this natural way about you. You can make anyone feel comfortable. And it’s so,  _ so _ easy for everyone to fall helplessly in love with you.”

Haruhi stared at him, eyebrow raised.

“Did you know,” he began, “that we were all in love with you in high school?”

The shock was apparent on her face.

_ Of course she wouldn’t have noticed, _ Tamaki thought to himself. To be honest, he wondered if she did notice a little bit back then—even the slightest bit. They all protected her time and again. It was clear that they all cared about her in some capacity; some more than others. Although… now he wondered if anyone really admitted to themselves that they were, aside from himself and Hikaru. Mori’s continually stoic-yet-serene expression was unreadable. Honey was always so sweet that it was impossible to tell. Kaoru was definitely the more sensible twin, but he was always so hyper-aware of his brother to put the puzzle pieces of his own mind together. And Kyoya… well, he was so calm, collected, and guarded that it was impossible to figure out what was going through his head. 

“But for whatever reason, when  _ I _ finally figured it out, they stepped back… and I don’t think I ever understood why until now,” he told her, his voice wavering slightly.

“Why was that?” she asked carefully.

He gave her an almost sad smile. Sometimes, she could really be as blind as he was. “Because you loved me back.”

There was an awkward pause as she let his words sink in. The shock on her face slowly dissipated, and carefully she asked, “So what now?”

“I suppose that it’s my turn to step back now,” he answered with a shrug. “I think you need to go do what makes you happy. I’m not stupid all the time, Haruhi. I could chase you to the ends of the Earth, but if you don’t love me like I love you…”

“Tamaki…”

“...the best thing I can do is step back and let you figure out what you love.”

While it did hurt him to say that, he knew he was right. In the end, all he ever wanted for her was to be happy. He wanted her to have what she wanted for herself… and if that wasn’t him, he would have to live with that. Sure, it hurt, but he knew he wasn’t what she wanted; he couldn’t  _ make _ her love him.

After another long silence, Haruhi finally spoke again. “Thank you, Tamaki.”

“You know I’d give you the world if I could.”

But he couldn’t. That wasn’t his place in her life, not anymore.

As he said his goodbyes later that night (after another cup of tea and watching a god awful movie on Netflix), he hoped that she would find someone that would take that place. She deserved every bit of happiness that came her way.

When he set off on his flight the next morning, he hoped he’d see her again soon. The last week was as perfect as he could have imagined, although it didn’t end quite the way he’d hoped. The odd thing was, he finally felt like a weight was lifted from him.

Moving on didn’t seem like such a stretch anymore.

* * *

The same morning, Haruhi was cleaning up her living space from the night before.

What transpired the previous night finally felt like closure to her. Her and Tamaki’s relationship was finally over that one awkward hump, and they could actually just be friends again.

As she cleaned, she came across the business card Tamaki handed to her the second night he was in town. On the front, scrawled in lovely raised gold was the Hitatchiin brothers’ fashion company,  _ Double Vision Designs _ . When she flipped the card over, there was a short message in—if she remembered correctly—Hikaru’s handwriting:

_ NYC Boutique Opening, December 19 _

_ K+H _

Haruhi thought about it for a second. She would be on winter break by then. It had been  _ years _ since she’d spoken to the twins. Still, they took a chance to get a message to her through Tamaki, which was a chance meeting itself.

With a deep breath, she picked up her phone and dialed the number on the business card.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s Saturday morning, but I have a long day ahead of me today, so I’ve decided against posting tonight. Regular Saturday night posting will resume next week.
> 
> Long-ish chapter ahead! I had to use my phone again, so apologies if there are any formatting errors.
> 
> Thanks for all the love! I’m glad you’re all enjoying this as much as I am writing it. Your comments make my day. :)

The holidays weren’t something Haruhi was used to observing, and the biting cold of Boston during the winter wasn’t something she was fond of. However, the city was beautiful in December, and she found herself wandering and taking in the scenery more often than not. Last year, during her first year of studies in the city, she took a lot of walks, and she found peace in them. She spent the few weeks of her winter break peacefully on her own in the dormitories. The holidays weren’t especially exciting, but she did give and receive gifts from her two other roommates.

This year, however, would be different. At the moment, Haruhi was getting ready to board a bus to New York City. She had actually never been there before, but at the behest of the twins, she really didn’t have a say otherwise. To be honest, she was looking forward to the visit; it would be a new experience for her. She had plans to be a tourist for her stay, besides the main reason for her visit—to attend the twins’ boutique opening.

Before she decided to call Hikaru, she hadn’t had much contact with either of the twins since their graduation, much like the rest of the Host Club. Keeping in touch as soon as they all went their separate ways was… hard, to say the least. Maybe they were all at fault, since no one actually took the initiative.

Regardless, here she was now. And she was actually looking forward to seeing the twins.

* * *

_“Hello?” came from the other end of the line, and Haruhi was a little shocked that an answer came. She half-expected to leave a message._

_ “Ah… is this—“ _

_ “Who is this?” _

_ “What did I tell you about giving your business card to random people?” she heard Kaoru’s unmistakable voice say in the background. _

_ “Hikaru,” she said more steadily, “it’s Haruhi.” _

_ She thought she heard him drop the phone on the other end. _

_ “Haruhi!” he finally exclaimed as soon as he presumably picked up his phone again. “I didn’t think that you’d actually call. Does that mean you _ actually _ met up with Tamaki?” _

_ She hesitated before she answered. “We bumped into each other while he was in town. I didn’t know you were still in touch.” _

_ “We hardly are, but we managed to catch up a while back. When he told us you were in Boston, well, Kaoru and I weren’t surprised, really. It’s what you always wanted to do, right?” Hikaru paused and continued with, “Then when he told us he’d be making a business trip out there, we took a chance. Kind of shocked that it actually worked, though.” _

_ “Let me talk to her,” Kaoru’s semi-muffled voice came again. _

_ “Just a sec,” Hikaru answered back. Then back to Haruhi he said, “So, I’m assuming you got the message, then?” _

_ “I did.” _

_ “Good, so can we count on your attendance?” _

_ At that point, Haruhi wasn’t sure about going out to New York. Mostly because her finances being how they were; she had to pay to get there, accommodations, spending money, etc. Sure she was frugal in every sense of the word, but she didn’t know if she could stretch her money that far. _

_ “I…” _

_ “You know we won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” _

_ She heard a brief shuffling sound on the other end. Then Kaoru’s voice came from the other end. “Hey Haruhi, we haven’t seen each other in years. Come visit and we’ll take care of everything. It’ll mean the world to us if you were here for our grand opening. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you. _ And _ we’ll even throw in a custom piece for you just for the gala.” _

_ Of course they’d be having some sort of gala. She didn’t put it past them, really. If they were going to celebrate, of course they would celebrate in style—literally, of course. _

_ “But I couldn’t let you guys pay for everything. It wouldn’t be fair,” Haruhi said. _

_ “Like Hikaru said. We won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” _

* * *

And just like that, Haruhi was swept away to experience the New York fashion scene.

Although the twins insisted she take their private jet, she declined, telling them that she would rather take the bus instead. It wasn’t like she was some VIP or anything. She still was uncomfortable with that kind of stuff, and she didn’t think she would ever be comfortable with it.

Instead they came to a compromise that they’d take care of her accommodations, and she would take care of her transportation.

She was jolted awake by the announcement on the bus that they were arriving in a few minutes. The city in the distance was large and intimidating, but the view was simply beautiful. The silhouettes of the buildings in the distance was breathtaking. She was sure that she would get lost in it, but if everything she’d heard about New York was correct, she would love it there regardless. The hustle and bustle of city life had grown on her since she had been in Boston for the last year, and now she was used to it. This city was simply on a much larger scale.

It wasn’t long before she was off the bus with her luggage in tow, hailing a taxi. It took her a while—the bus depot was crowded. She was told by the twins that they had reserved a room for her at The Four Seasons. When she told her roommates, their jaws very nearly dropped. Apparently it was _ the _ hotel in New York City, and had quite the price tag too. They urged her to look it up on the internet, and she found that rooms there could go for thousands of dollars a night. Then again, she didn’t expect any less from the twins.

Upon arriving at the hotel, she then found out that her “room” was actually a “suite” located on one of the top floors of the building. Actually, it was more like an apartment than a hotel room—there was a separate living room/study, a bathroom with a full bathtub, a powder room, and a private bedroom. The views were spectacular; there was a completely unobstructed view of Central Park. This “room” was too big for one person, Haruhi decided, but allowed herself to be spoiled for once.

As she made her way to the bedroom to drop off her things, she noticed a box on the bed with a notecard placed on top that read:

_ For dinner tonight. _

_ Meet us in the lobby at 6 o’clock. _

_ K & H _

Haruhi rolled her eyes and set the notecard aside. Opening the box she found a simple black dress with a little flair. It had a form-fitting bodice, an off-the-shoulder neckline, and a high-low flared skirt. The fabric was a light chiffon layered over what felt like the softest of silk. The hem of the dress was decorated with intricate black beading. Along with the dress were a pair of simple black pumps, made of a velvety suede and a red sole.

_ All this for dinner? _Haruhi thought to herself. Then she started wondering if she brought any appropriate jewelry for the outfit.

She glanced at the clock, which read 4:27. She had hoped to take a nap when she got here, but now she had to get ready. Then again, she did want to catch up with the twins, more than their conversation over the phone months ago. It was kind of an almost disjointed conversation with the twins passing the phone between the two of them. Although, Haruhi didn’t expect anything different. They still made her laugh, and she didn’t miss Hikaru’s off-handed remark on her still being single.

Haruhi made her way to the lobby with five minutes to spare, completely oblivious to the looks passers-by gave her. She glanced around the lobby, wondering if the twins were already there, but no dice.

Then behind her she heard a familiar voice say, “Haru-chan?”

She turned to find a tall, honey-blond young man. The height threw her completely off, but there was no mistake—it was Honey. She was actually shocked to see that he finally had his growth spurt.

“Oh my—_ Honey _? Is that you?”

“Haru-chan!” he exclaimed and threw his arms around her in a long-overdue hug. Instead of her flinging him around, he easily lifted her and spun her around once. “It’s so good to see you! I didn’t believe Kao-chan when he said you were going to be here too!”

When she was put back down, she gave him a warm smile, actually looking _ up _ at him. “You know I can’t say no when they insist.”

“I can’t wait to catch up over dinner,” he said and stepped aside to reveal Mori standing close behind him.

Mori gave Haruhi a warm smile of his own and lifted her hand, planting a quick kiss on it. She may have blushed a little. She always found his silent calmness charming. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

“Haaaaruhiiiii!!!” she then heard from behind her. Turning her head, she found the twins running up to her to give her a hug of their own.

“I knew you’d look great in this dress,” Kaoru said proudly, giving her a wink. “It’s from our evening collection.”

Hikaru looked away, failing to hide the blush on his cheeks. “You look beautiful,” he said, unable to keep the silly grin off his face.

“Thanks,” she said. She gestured to her dress. “But don’t you think this is too much?”

“Absolutely not,” another familiar voice said. It was Tamaki. He, of course, looked handsome in the suit he wore. “You look stunning.”

She turned and gave him a hug as well. “It’s good to see you again,” she told him earnestly.

They were all back together—all except one.

She hadn’t thought of Kyoya in a long time. If he were to arrive, she wondered if it would be awkward, considering she left him the way she did. Haruhi had no contact with him since that one night they spent together. Part of her regretted the way she left, and how she left things between them. She wondered if he was angry with her, or if he would just chalk it up as a misstep in their relationship—or lack thereof.

Against her better judgement she asked, “Will Kyoya be joining us too?”

It was Tamaki who answered. “Actually, he said he was taking a later flight in, so he may or may not make it to dinner.”

“Oh.”

“I know, Haru-chan. I wanted to see him too, but you know Kyo-chan when he has business matters to tend to…” Honey said with a slight frown of disappointment. “Let’s hope he joins us later, okay?”

Haruhi gave Honey a comforting smile, but in reality, she was a little relieved that Kyoya may not show up. Then again, the other part of her hoped he did, too.

They all shared a large round table in the dining room. The food was phenomenal—pleasing to the eye, perfectly cooked, and absolutely delightful on the palate. Everyone’s old mannerisms started to come out again, in each other’s company. Haruhi had to shut Tamaki down every time he would comment on how cute she was every time she sighed and smiled when she tasted something good. Then Hikaru and Kaoru would pick on Tamaki for doing so. Honey asked her to share a dessert, and Tamaki looked slightly defeated (she didn’t miss that Hikaru did too) when she agreed.

Their banter continued long after dessert had been served, and Haruhi couldn’t have been happier. She had her “family” again. They were all like the brothers she never had. She felt completely at ease with them, and she was glad they all literally walked into her life again. There was never a dull moment when they were around.

Throughout dinner, she did sneak glances toward the entrance, hoping she’d see the familiar glint of a pair of glasses and raven-colored hair.

They were on their fourth bottle of wine (her third glass) at the table when Tamaki nudged her and quietly said to her, “You’ve been looking at the entrance quite a lot. Are you hoping that Kyoya will show up?”

“No...” she replied unconvincingly. Then she let out a breath and amended her answer. “I mean, yes. It kind of feels—incomplete—I guess—without him.”

“You’re right, it does,” Tamaki agreed. “He asked about you when I spoke to him last. I told him you were doing well.”

“How… how is he doing?”

Tamaki shrugged. “He threw himself into work. I don’t think it’s good for him. I told him that he needed to find a special someone to keep him from being such a workaholic. Someone to get him to relax.”

His words triggered the memory of her summer with Kyoya; how comfortable they were in each other’s company, how relaxed he seemed, and how he would come visit her “just because” (even if it were only to keep up an appearance to please his father).

“How’d he react to that suggestion?” she asked, a touch of sarcasm in her voice, but she did genuinely want to know.

He chuckled. “How do you think? He said it was none of my business. And when I told him about my visit to Boston… well, he _ listened _, but then had to cut the conversation short.” Tamaki looked thoughtful for a moment. “I guess he’s just touchy about romantic relationships. But don’t you agree with me?”

Haruhi took a long sip of her wine. “You shouldn’t stick your nose into someone’s personal life,” she answered. “Even if you _ are _ good friends.”

“What are you two talking about?” Hikaru asked, pulling them back into the group conversation.

“Kyoya needs a girlfriend,” Tamaki stated loudly. “I really worry about him sometimes.”

“I assure you that I am fully capable of taking care of myself, _ with _ or _ without _ a significant other.”

The whole table looked up to see Kyoya standing by the empty seat next to Tamaki.

Haruhi was mid-sip and almost spit her wine out. He literally appeared out of nowhere and at the most inopportune time. She stiffened a little as she placed her glass back on the table and turned to look at the newcomer. He looked impeccable, a little more mature than when she saw him last, and still just as devilishly handsome. Yes, this would be awkward, she decided—she could already feel it in the pit of her stomach.

“Sit down, Kyo-chan. We might be done with dinner, but you can still join the conversation,” Honey offered cheerily. “Sorry about Tama-chan. I’m sure he didn’t mean to talk about you while you weren’t here.”

Kyoya took a seat, the awkward silence still filling the table. “Allow me to buy another bottle for the table, as an apology for being late.”

Haruhi was actually relieved to have Tamaki in between them as a buffer.

“As a friend,” Tamaki started, in an attempt to break the awkwardness, “perhaps you should entertain the idea, nonetheless.”

Kaoru spoke up then. “I don’t think it’s the best idea to put Kyoya on the spot, since he just got here.”

“If I told you I had—“_ entertained _” it—as you said, would it stop your silly worrying?” Kyoya said.

“Then who’s the mystery girl, Kyoya?” Hikaru asked, leaning in with interest.

“I don’t think it would be any of our business,” Haruhi quickly interjected. “I mean, if it’s not serious, that is.”

She was certain her stomach was doing backflips now.

“It didn’t work out,” Kyoya finally said, his voice cool and collected. “Is that enough for you, Tamaki?”

Tamaki swung his arm around his best friend, and in dramatic fashion (or having one too many glasses of wine) exclaimed, “How tragic! Don’t worry, now that we’re all together, we will help you get over the mystery girl!”

“That’s so sad,” Honey mused with a frown.

“Yeah,” Mori added in support.

The twins shared a look of surprise.

Haruhi, however, let out a long breath that she hadn’t known she’d been holding. This was going to be a long night, as she looked at her watch. It was nearing nine o’clock, and if the drinks kept flowing, she knew they’d be here until they were kicked out.

“I’ve had a long flight,” Kyoya said, shrugging off Tamaki’s arm. “My current relationship status is not what I anticipated to speak about when I got here. Shall we change the subject?”

Out of the blue, and quite unexpectedly, Mori spoke up. “I’m going to ask my girlfriend to marry me.”

And just like that, the awkwardness was gone, and everyone cheered and congratulated the tall and silent member of the Host Club. Kyoya’s apology bottle of wine was brought to the table, along with a bottle of champagne (Haruhi had no idea who ordered that). Conversation centered around Mori, who very much out-of-character told them about his girlfriend and how wonderful she was, with Honey backing up everything he said. 

_ Being in love suits him _, Haruhi thought happily. And she was extremely happy for him.

It was late when they all finally decided to call it a night.

For once, Haruhi was grateful that the twins decided on having dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. It would simply be an elevator ride to her room and she could pass out wherever she saw fit in there for the night; although the soft, fluffy bed was calling her name.

As it turned out, they were _ all _ staying in the hotel.

Piled into the same elevator, they all eventually got off on their respective floors. However, the awkwardness started inching up on Haruhi again as one by one, everyone else got off, leaving only herself and Kyoya on the elevator.

She noticed then that there was a single floor lit up on the panel of buttons.

“Same floor, it seems,” Kyoya remarked as if reading her mind. She hated when he did that.

“I guess so.” She leaned on the wall closest to her. She was tired, and also a little tipsy. She would blame her next words on that later. “It’s my fault it didn’t work out.”

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out together, walking in the same direction.

“It may have well been,” he said, his expression completely unreadable. “But there’s no reason I should hold it against you. It was your last night. I should have known better.”

Haruhi was dumbfounded at his response. While he _ was _right about his reasoning, he didn’t have to lay it on her like that. But then again… he did say he should have known better. The realization struck Haruhi like a freight train.

“I’m sorry…”

“Please, there’s no need for apologies. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just as at fault as you. I acted upon,” he paused, his facade slipping for a split second, “feelings that I knew you couldn’t let yourself return.”

At that, they ended up in front of Haruhi’s door. She fished in her small purse for her key and waved it in front of the lock, causing it to click unlocked.

“So we’re good,” she said, pushing open her door.

“Yes,” he said with a nod.

“Okay, then. Goodnight, Kyoya.”

“Goodnight, Haruhi.”

Haruhi was never so glad to have the alcohol clouding her mind. As soon as she peeled off the dress and pulled on her pajamas, she got into bed and let sleep overtake her.

She ignored the nagging pit in her stomach telling her that she and Kyoya still hadn’t resolved a thing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! This chapter is a long one. I think we're nearing the end of this fic. Just a few more chapters left. (I'm kind of happy about it, but sad at the same time.) 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Keep them coming. :)

The following day, everyone decided to go their own ways for the day. Today there would be an invite-only fashion show at a warehouse in the Meatpacking District as a prelude to the grand opening the next morning. The gala would follow the same evening.

Naturally, the twins were off doing work and preparing for the show. Honey and Mori decided to accompany Haruhi in the early morning to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Although Tamaki was disappointed that he slept in and couldn’t accompany them, he decided to wait for Kyoya to wake up so they could go to lunch.

Kyoya, on the other hand, was not pleased to hear his phone ringing at ten in the morning. After a tediously long flight the day before, and a very late night spent with friends and plenty of drinks, he much preferred to stay in bed long after the sun came up.

He ignored the first set of ringing, and then the second one as well. The third set had him groaning in annoyance into his pillow. The fourth and fifth set of rings came from the room phone next to his bed. By the sixth set, he was already to reach into the phone and strangle the caller. It was the seventh set that he finally decided to pick up the phone. After glancing at his cell phone, he knew the caller wouldn’t stop until he answered, and that sleep was non-negotiable from that point on.

“What, Tamaki?” he practically growled into the receiver.

“Kyoya! We seem to be the only ones that don’t have plans for today. Let’s go to lunch and enjoy the brisk winter weather of the city!” Tamaki said in excitement on the other end.

He glanced at the time on his cell phone. “It’s just past ten o’clock, and you want to go to _ lunch _?”

“There’s this delightful French restaurant I know of. Besides, it’s been a long time since you and I have spent time together.”

Kyoya groaned. He did have a point, but it was still too early. “Fine. Make a reservation for noon. I’ll meet you in the lobby at eleven-thirty. Now please, will you let me _ go back to sleep _?”

Tamaki let out an embarrassed chuckle on the other end and agreed.

They ended up at a beautiful high-end restaurant, which was not out of the norm for the two of them. They personally caught up with each other over glasses of wine and appetizers.

“I stand by what I said yesterday, you know. About needing a companion,” Tamaki said during a lull in their conversation.

“And as I said, that is really none of your business.”

“Then tell me who the mystery girl is that broke your heart.”

Kyoya was frustrated, but Tamaki was one of the only people that could see right through him sometimes; the only other person being Haruhi, who could read him like a book sometimes.

“Does it really matter?”

“No, but now you admit that someone did!”

He sighed, knowing that Tamaki would never let up now. He didn’t know how Tamaki would react if he told him it was Haruhi. Tamaki could possibly get angry and never speak to him again, or he could swallow his pride and surprise him. Kyoya had cut their last conversation short _ because _ it was about Haruhi, _ and _ Tamaki’s visit to Boston—in detail. To be honest, he was a little relieved to hear that she rejected Tamaki’s advances in the end, but at the same time he did feel bad for his best friend. He knew how much Tamaki loved her, and how much he hurt after his relationship with Haruhi ended.

Kyoya didn’t want to be the source of more hurt for him. Yes, that summer with Haruhi made him realize that he was, in fact, in love with her. Had she stayed until morning, maybe there would have been a chance. But she didn’t, and it did, in fact, break his normally icy heart.

“Perhaps it did, but I’m over it now,” Kyoya replied, but he wasn’t sure he believed it.

* * *

Fashion shows weren’t Kyoya’s favorite functions to attend, but seeing the artistry of the creators was always a highlight. The twins were amazing stylists to begin with, so it was natural that they follow in the footsteps of their own family’s business. He was actually interested to see what they’ve cooked up.

Of course, the twins had reserved seats for all of them right at the foot of the runway.

Since lunch, Tamaki was insistent on finding Kyoya a ‘nice girl’ that would make him happy. There was only so much of “what about her” and “oh she seems nice” he could take from his best friend. He was glad to be around the others when they arrived at the show, and even happier that he wasn’t sitting next to the blond idiot.

“Did you have a good day with Tama-chan today?” Honey asked when they took their seats.

“It went as you would expect,” Kyoya answered with a sigh. “He talked my ear off, as usual.”

Honey smiled. “It wouldn’t be him if he didn’t.” After a brief pause, he continued with, “Say Kyo-chan, can I ask you something?”

Before Kyoya could answer, Tamaki interrupted their conversation with, “Has anyone seen Haruhi?”

The four of them looked around and scanned the crowd for a moment, each of them failing to find her.

“That’s weird. She came with us,” Honey stated, his eyes still looking through the crowd.

“Mm,” Mori seconded.

“Oh no! What if she got lost? We have to find her! The show will be starting soon!” Tamaki looked like he was worried.

Kyoya’s thoughts went in a different direction. More than likely, she was abducted by the twins. It happened quite frequently in their high school days, and there was no reason that it wouldn’t happen again. After all, she was always one of their favorite “playthings.” It was an absurd notion; he’d thought so ever since the two of them brought it up so long ago.

“Don’t be stupid,” Kyoya said, shutting down his best friend before his wild imagination got the best of him. “I’m going to pay a visit backstage. I have feeling she was intercepted before she could make it to her seat.”

“Hurry! I don’t think she would want to miss this!”

He made his way to the backstage area, and he found the twins hovering over a defeated-looking Haruhi.

“Hikaru, it won’t fit you—the sleeves and pant length are too long! We’ve got to use someone taller!” Kaoru complained, his arms folded across his chest.

“Then who else can do it? Our other male models are _ too _ tall. I told you we shouldn’t have decided on this last-minute.” Hikaru was just as heated as his brother.

Kyoya walked up to them and asked, “What seems to be the problem?”

The twins finally noticed him standing there and looked at each other, simultaneous realization flashing in their eyes.

“I think we found our solution,” Hikaru said with a grin.

“You guys… I don’t think that this is a good idea,” Haruhi said, finally breaking her silence. Kyoya noticed that she had gone pale. He wondered what the twins were squabbling over that had somehow gotten that kind of reaction from her.

“Kyoya, come with me for a minute,” Kaoru said, gesturing with his hand to follow him. When they were in as private an area as they could be, he started to explain. “So about a week ago when Hikaru and I were finalizing the designs for this show, we decided that we should add another collection that no one would expect—at least, not at opening. So we worked our butts off on these final pieces, but we got so into them that we completely forgot to book the appropriate models to showcase them. It was a completely amateur move, I know.” Kaoru looked embarrassed at that. “Haruhi agreed to showcase one of them.”

“I highly doubt that.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. Kyoya knew they probably cornered her as soon as she got there earlier.

Kaoru compulsively laughed. “After much persuasion she agreed, is what I should have probably said… but that’s besides the point. I’ve got a favor to ask you.”

“And what would that be?”

“I don’t intend to persuade you, so I’m just going to ask. There’s a complimentary piece to what Haruhi’s wearing. Can you be our model?”

He didn’t know what to say. “Why not ask Tamaki?”

“Because you’re here and you’re convenient. Besides, there’s no time and we need to get you both with hair and makeup.” Kaoru sighed. “Please, Hikaru and I will owe you big. Ask us for a favor anytime, and we’ll be there.”

Kyoya looked to where Haruhi and Hikaru were, only to find that they had disappeared. Hikaru most likely whisked her away to get ready.

This time Kyoya sighed in defeat. “Fine, but can one of you go let the three in the audience know? They were worried about Haruhi so I came back here to see if I could find her.”

“I’m on it. You go find Hikaru. He’s probably with Haruhi in hair and makeup.”

The hustle and bustle backstage didn’t bother Kyoya. There were models getting their finishing touches, photographers getting their behind-the-scenes shots, and a few members of the press interviewing models and trying to catch up with the twins to do the same. He made sure to make a beeline to hair and makeup to avoid anyone that could possibly stop him to ask questions.

He found Hikaru in the seat next to Haruhi as she was getting her makeup done.

“It’s going to be fine. Just walk down the runway and pretend you’re a bride,” Hikaru said to Haruhi like it was the simplest thing she could do. “I mean really, it’s not much different.”

_ Hikaru is too harsh sometimes _, Kyoya thought to himself.

Kyoya cleared his throat, causing the two of them to give him their attention.

“Now, now Hikaru,” he began calmly, “most brides do get nervous on their wedding day. This is no different.”

“At least it’ll sell the fantasy,” Hikaru muttered and shrugged. Then he stood up. “Anyway, I gotta go find my brother and start the show.” He took one last look at Haruhi and said, “You really will look beautiful.” Then to Kyoya he said, “Thanks.”

He walked away, leaving himself, Haruhi, and the makeup artist alone.

“If you’re thinking I’m going to thank you for that, you would be wrong,” Haruhi said, her eyes closed as the makeup artist applied eye shadow.

He took a seat in the chair Hikaru vacated. “No, I was merely stating a fact, not that I’ve ever experienced it myself. However, it goes both ways, or so I’ve heard from both my brothers and sister."

Haruhi chuckled as she finally opened her eyes and caught his eyes in the reflection in the mirror. She looked… different. It wasn’t a bad thing, not at all, but the makeup was a bit heavy. Kyoya supposed it was because the runway lights would be on her. Still, even with the heavy makeup, she looked beautiful.

“I can’t believe I got corralled into this,” she said, the expression on her face that of frustration. “I can’t believe they got you to say yes to it too.”

“Would you rather have it be someone else? I’m sure Tamaki—"

“_ No _.” Her tone was almost harsh. “He’s probably the last person who should be doing this.”

He knew she was right, from what Tamaki had told him of his visit to Boston. Besides, the other two choices were Mori and Honey. Mori wouldn’t risk putting his relationship with his soon-to-be fiancée by having his face plastered on a fashion magazine with another woman in a wedding dress. Honey was still a bit on the boyish side to “sell the fantasy” as Hikaru so aptly put it.

So it would be him and Haruhi, walking the runway as bride and groom.

“Then it seems you are stuck with me, unless you have a good reason to think one of the others would suit you better.”

Kyoya told himself this was all about logical reasoning, and not the part of himself that said it was because he actually _ wanted _ to do this. He could feel his heart thumping, waiting to see if Haruhi’s own logical reasoning would lead her to the same conclusion.

She nodded to him in the mirror. “I guess you’re right,” she finally agreed. “You know how annoying that is?”

“What?”

“That you’re always right, and that you’re always so sure of it,” she stated as the hairdresser spun her chair around to face him.

“I don’t go out of my way to be. Besides, there have been times where I’ve been in the wrong,” he said, gauging her reaction to his words.

“Oh yeah? When?”

An attendant came running up to Haruhi and interrupted them before Kyoya could even think to come up with an answer.

“Miss Fujioka, I’m here to help you with your outfit.”

With that, she went to get dressed.

* * *

Kyoya stood near the wings of the stage, waiting for his cue. He hadn’t seen Haruhi since she left to get into her outfit. According to one of the stagehands, he would be walking out after the twins introduced their Wedding Collection line.

The suit that the twins designed was quite well-made—it was dark gray, with a periwinkle silk lining in the jacket. A matching handkerchief was folded neatly into breast pocket. The vest was a matching shade of gray with periwinkle-colored rhinestones for buttons. His tie was a silky silver, a shade lighter than the suit for contrast, and the cuff links to his plain white dress shirt were made of the same rhinestones that were the buttons on his vest.

To be honest, the suit wasn’t quite his taste, but it really wasn’t about him.

“To end the evening, we have a little surprise,” he heard Kaoru say over the microphone. “While it will still be quite some time to build this collection, we do have a preview of what’s to come.”

“We’d like to introduce our wedding collection,” Hikaru said in turn, and that was Kyoya’s cue to step on stage.

While Kyoya had never actually modeled before, he figured that it shouldn’t be all that hard. He would walk down the runway, and show off all the proper details of the suit.

Before he emerged from the wings, he felt a tug on his arm, and Kaoru whispered, “Take off your jacket before you do your second pass.”

He did as he was told, and when he got to the end of the runway, he didn’t miss the stunned expressions on his friends’ faces. It actually made him grin before he took off his jacket and swung it over his shoulder (as he’d seen in other fashion shows before) and turned on his heel to walk back.

Just when he thought he was in the clear, he almost tripped over himself when he saw Haruhi enter the stage.

To put it simply, she was beautiful.

The twins really outdid themselves with their design of her gown. It was a traditional white, one shoulder, A-line dress that cascaded to the floor and extending to a train that pooled at her feet, framing the ground around her. Small, periwinkle flowers adorned her dress, starting from her shoulder, scattering down the side of the dress, and to her train, where the flowers enveloped the whole of the fabric. Kyoya could see tiny rhinestones glittering in the light, that looked like they were scattered in and around the flowers. Her hair was swept up in a simple, classic bun, where matching flowers held a veil in place. He didn’t miss the details of matching, periwinkle-colored earrings in her ears. In her hands she held a bouquet of hydrangeas that matched the colored details of both their outfits.

His grin faltered a bit as he looked at her, but it transformed into a smile as he took his place at the back of the stage. Right before she stepped up to take her turn on the runway, he whispered, “You… are beautiful.”

He didn’t miss the blush that blossomed on her cheeks as she started her walk.

As she got further down, her train extended, showing off the ethereal beauty of her dress’s design. He heard murmurs and gasps everywhere—from backstage and in the crowd. He didn’t know if it was for the dress or Haruhi. It could be both, he reasoned.

And then she was walking towards him again, the blush still on her cheeks, and a sweet, innocent smile on her lips. Kyoya extended his arm out to her as he would do as anyone’s escort. She hooked her arm in his as she turned around to face the audience.

Kyoya continued to stare at her. He probably looked every part the groom, completely taken by his bride’s beauty. He was though, and it actually scared him. When she looked back at him with a smile still playing on her lips, he wondered if he would ever get the chance to kiss them again.

He regretted saying what he did to her the night prior. It was his defenses kicking in. He didn’t want to feel the hurt he did back then, again. And now here she was, in a beautiful wedding gown, standing next to him…

And Kyoya felt like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then they were walking down the runway together, the audience cheering around them. Smiling at each other. The other models behind them insignificant. Like the rest of the world fell away, and it was just the two of them.

Kyoya was in trouble, and he knew it. He just didn’t know if it was the good kind, or the bad.

* * *

In the audience, Tamaki, Honey, and Mori applauded their friends as did the crowd around them.

“They look…” Honey started, eyeing the couple at the front of the stage.

“Happy,” Tamaki finished.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went on a binge-writing session and finished and edited the next three chapters in the last few days. I don't regret any of it, so I'll be posting them through Saturday, when my normal update will take place.
> 
> In other words, you get extra this week. :)
> 
> (To be honest, I am a little disappointed that this took place a couple weeks before NaNoWriMo. It's been a long time since I participated. lol)

For Haruhi, confronting her emotions wasn’t something she did often. Most of the time she suppressed them, and eventually they’d eat her up slowly from the inside, forcing her to confront them anyway.

Something stirred in her when she saw Kyoya's reaction to her in that wedding gown. The surprise was apparent, but there was a warmth radiating there, a silent complement waiting to be said; which he did say when he stood next to her for that split second before she walked down the runway.

The smile that adorned his face when she turned to walk towards him again made her feel like she was the only person he saw in the crowd. Almost like she was really and truly waiting walking down the aisle to her soon-to-be husband. It was surreal, but it had Haruhi almost wishing it was real.

At that thought, she knew she had to confront the feelings bubbling to the surface, and it terrified her. Yet, the moment she hooked her arm around Kyoya’s, it felt like something just clicked into place. She couldn’t help but smile back at him as they walked down the runway together, the sound of the crowd around them fading away as she took in the sight of him. She wondered if this was more than just pretend for him anymore.

Reality came rolling back in when they were separated to go backstage again. It was the end of the show, and thus ended their glimpse of “what if” and began the congratulations for a show well-done from everyone that she didn’t have a chance to meet.

Haruhi just really wanted to get out of the dress and get back in her everyday clothes.

Instead, a glass of champagne was being offered to her by Hikaru. He wrapped an arm around her and raised his own glass, his voice filling the space around them saying, “To a perfect show, and a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone involved!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd of people.

Across the room, she heard Kaoru say, “My brother and I are so proud of everyone, and grateful for their time. We wouldn’t be here without some of you, and we wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without _all_ of you, so thank you again for a job well done!”

More cheers and applause from everyone.

“You look amazing, Haruhi,” Hikaru said to her. “You... kind of make the perfect bride.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“I sort of wish it had been me with you, instead of Kyoya, though.” He shrugged. “But you know… I don’t think you’d ever look at me the same way you looked at him.” He looked a little sad, and yet there was also an unspoken question lingering in the air. Hikaru unwrapped his arm from around her and lifted her hand to plant a kiss on it. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. I think I have some press to tend to.”

Now Haruhi wondered if anyone else caught the moment between herself and Kyoya. 

Haruhi bit her lip and chugged down the glass of champagne. Then she turned around to find someone to help her out of her outfit.

* * *

Haruhi was in the middle of wiping away her makeup when Kyoya found her.

“I think it’s time we spoke about some… things,” he said from behind her.

Of course, Haruhi was startled. She knew this was coming, but didn’t expect him to come to her so soon.

He was already out of his suit as well. The charade was up, and it was just the two of them again.

She turned to face him properly once the last of her makeup was off. It felt oddly symbolic in a way; kind of like taking off a mask, or maybe it was a band-aid. She didn’t know what to expect, and for once, she couldn’t read a thing from Kyoya.

“I know,” she said, folding her hands in her lap.

Kyoya stepped closer to her. It looked like he didn’t know what to say, or maybe he was trying to gather his thoughts. Haruhi has no idea, but she didn’t know how to start either.

“There you are!” they heard Kaoru call out. “The others are looking for the both of you! Come on.” He gestured for them to follow him.

They looked at each other, and Haruhi let out a soft chuckle. “It’s probably not the best place to talk,” she told him as she stood up. “Later?”

“Yes,” he agreed with a nod. “Perhaps in a more private place with no interruptions. There’s… a few things that I need to say.”

She gave him a warm smile. “Me too. Let’s go.”

* * *

They met up with everyone who were waiting just beyond the backstage area. The crowd had dissipated some, but there were still a few loiterers, including them, finishing up the free champagne.

As soon as Haruhi came into view, Honey ran up to give her a hug.

“You looked so beautiful, Haru-chan!” he told her.

Mori nodded in agreement and gave her his own hug.

“I didn’t expect you to step in to save the day, Kyo-chan,” Honey then said to Kyoya. “When Kao-chan came into the audience to tell us, we were all surprised.”

“I figured that I’d swoop in before any of you fools could make a scene,” Kyoya said.

He was right, though. Any of the others would’ve made a scene if the twins had asked, and fought over who would “volunteer.”

Tamaki stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. He didn’t say a word. It was very unlike him. She expected him to exclaim that she was so beautiful and that she should be a model more often… but none of that came. Instead he said, “You looked amazing. I’m glad you were able to help the twins out. You made that dress… perfect.”

“Uh, thanks?” she responded, half-questioning his reaction. That wasn’t the Tamaki she knew. It was really very odd, and it bothered her. “Are you okay, Tamaki?”

He smiled at her. It was less brilliant than usual. “I’m fine, but I think I may be coming down with something.”

“I told you a scarf would have been beneficial when we went for lunch earlier,” Kyoya commented offhandedly, as he walked up to them.

“I believe congratulations are in order for you as well, Kyoya,” Tamaki said. “You were a wonderful escort to Haruhi.”

“I just did what any of us would,” he replied casually.

And then there it was—the awkward silence between the three of them.

Haruhi realized that Tamaki probably _ had _ noticed the unspoken “thing” between herself and Kyoya while they were on stage. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, and right now, he seemed bothered, and maybe a little sad.

“Tamaki,” Kyoya began, undoubtedly noticing the awkwardness as well, “let’s go outside for some fresh air. This old, dingy warehouse may be the cause of your unease.”

“I’m fine…”

Kyoya placed a hand on Tamaki’s shoulder, looking at his best friend squarely in the eye. “Maybe we should finish our conversation from earlier, yes?”

Tamaki looked at him confused for a moment, then something dawned on him. “Right, our conversation. I think you may have left a few things out.”

“I’ll… see you out there when we’re ready to go,” Haruhi said uneasily, stepping back and giving them space.

They nodded at her and turned to head out.

“Do you think we should worry?” Kaoru asked, walking up behind her as she watched Kyoya and Tamaki walk out.

Hikaru came to her other side. “I think they’ll be okay. I mean, I don’t see either of them getting physical with each other.”

“They’ll work it out,” Honey chimed in. “I mean, they’ve been friends the longest out of all of us. Besides, I think it’s time for Tama-chan to listen.” Then he turned his attention to Haruhi. “But what about you, Haru-chan? What do you think?”

“_ Me _?”

“Yeah. You’ve got feelings for him too,” Mori said, finally voicing his opinion. “It’s not just him.”

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Haruhi said with a weak chuckle.

“Don’t try to hide it, Haruhi,” Hikaru said. “We all got a good view of you and Kyoya on the runway.”

Kaoru continued with, “The real question is, when did _ that _ even happen?”

Haruhi looked defeated, and in fact, she was. After thinking about it for a couple of moments she took a deep breath and decided to explain. “Two summers ago. I don’t know if you guys knew, but I stayed at his parents’ property after Dad passed. He visited a lot… and we, um… things happened, but then I got accepted to Harvard and had to leave.”

That was the abridged version, and that was all they were going to get.

Her four friends stared at her in shock.

It was Honey who finally spoke up, the initial shock wearing off for him rather quickly. “You know, it’s not that surprising. I always thought that Kyo-chan had feelings for you too. He was just bad at figuring it out.”

The twins looked at Honey with raised eyebrows.

“What? Takashi can vouch for my theory.” At that, Mori nodded vigorously. “Besides, back then, knowing that Tamaki had feelings for Haru-chan since the beginning, Kyo-chan would never let himself get in the way of that. He’s a good friend.”

Now it was Haruhi’s turn to look at Honey and Mori in shock. She would have never known, but then again Kyoya was the King of hiding his feelings under that cool facade of his.

“Can _ Tamaki _ handle it is the real question,” Hikaru stated with a frown.

“Who knows,” Kaoru replies with a shrug. “I _ am _ worried about the both of them, though.”

Haruhi’s shoulders drooped. “And it’s my fault, isn’t it?”

“No!” everyone exclaimed in unison. The twins pulled her into a three-way hug, Honey and Mori joining in just a few moments later.

* * *

The tension outside was palpable, anyone walking by the two men could feel it radiating off of them. They stayed silent long after they exited the warehouse, their warm breaths causing clouds in the cold air as they exhaled. They didn’t look at each other; Tamaki stared into the distance while Kyoya kept his gaze down.

“It explains a lot, I guess,” Tamaki finally said.

Kyoya’s head snapped up to look at his friend.

“I keep telling myself that it should have been me—the one who came running home to save her like a knight on a white horse,” Tamaki continued, still looking out into the distance. “The thing is, even then, I don’t think she would have wanted me to, anyway. I messed things up long before that, and… when I thought she would have stopped me from leaving, she didn’t.” He visibly swallowed, trying to keep his emotions in check. “I’m glad it was you—that it_ is _ you. I don’t know if I could take it had it been anyone else.”

“It was… unexpected,” Kyoya said carefully, still trying to gauge his friend’s feelings.

Tamaki shook his head. “No, it’s natural. She’s always been special. All of us knew it, and even you did, deep down. And spending that much time with her—I can’t blame you for falling for her.” He looked at Kyoya then. “I could say the same for her as well.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“Are you _ blind _ , Kyoya? Did you see the way she _ looked _ at you?” Tamaki responded in shock. His friend could be so perceptive, yet so blind at the same time. “As much as I hate to say it, Haruhi feels the same as you. I know that look on her well.”

He didn’t have to say much more than that. Kyoya knew that Tamaki was sad, and maybe not as upset as he thought he would have been. He was doing much better than Kyoya thought. Realizing that your best friend was now the person your ex-girlfriend (that you still had feelings for) was possibly in love with, and that your best friend probably felt the same way… well, it’s not the most ideal situation anyone would want to be in.

“I just want her to be happy,” Tamaki continued with a sad smile, “even if it’s not with me. I want you to be happy too, because you are still my best friend.” Then he playfully nudged Kyoya on the shoulder and added in jest, “Even though I want to punch you right now.”

Well, maybe it was half in jest.

Kyoya sighed. “It’s not that easy, Tamaki. It’s never been easy between me and her.”

“Don’t let go of a good thing when you have it. That’s probably the best advice I could give you.” Tamaki chuckled. “And don’t be so stubborn, because she’s just as stubborn, and you’ll never get anywhere.”

Kyoya gave a half-hearted laugh. What Tamaki said was true—both of them being as stubborn as they were resulted in them not resolving a damn thing for _ years _ now. He was also surprised to see Tamaki step back to give him—and Haruhi—a chance to make something work, although he didn’t expect anything less chivalrous from him. Tamaki never wanted to be painted as the “bad guy.”

“Thank you,” is what Kyoya settled on as a response.

That’s when Tamaki decided to go in for a hug, and to Kyoya’s own surprise, he returned it.

“Just don’t hurt her,” Tamaki said. “Because then I’ll _ really _ have to punch you in the face.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about Tamaki's reaction a lot before writing this. Yes, he would definitely be upset, there was no getting around that. I think that part of him is a little angry, but I don't think it would be in his nature to actually release that anger on two people who mean the world to him. Tamaki is a good guy, and not vindictive at all. I do think that his sadness overpowers his anger, though. At least he has the others to help him get out of his corner of woe, while Kyoya and Haruhi figure themselves out.
> 
> Again, thanks for reading! :)


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

“So what did you tell him?”

“Nothing,” Kyoya told her. “I simply confirmed his suspicions.”

Haruhi and the others exited the warehouse as Kyoya and Tamaki were mid-hug. Hikaru muttered something along the lines of “good to see no one’s dead” and then the rest of them continued to herd Tamaki away, leaving her with Kyoya. Kaoru called out behind the group, saying they were going to head to a bar nearby to continue celebrating.

She and Kyoya kept a slower pace behind them.

“What were his suspicions, exactly?”

“Feelings, between you and I.”

“I… see.”

Kyoya hesitated before he continued with, “You see, he wasn’t wrong about me. However, I’m not quite certain about his thoughts on you.”

“Yeah? What did he think?”

“That you perhaps have feelings for me as well.”

Haruhi looked down and blushed, smiling to herself. The answer was easy. “I do.”

Kyoya stopped walking then, making Haruhi do the same, and they turned to face each other. She noted that he was smiling just as she was.

“I’d like to pursue those feelings, if that’s alright with you,” he suggested, his arms circling her waist and pulling her closer.

In turn, Haruhi placed her palms on his chest. While he wasn’t as tall as Tamaki, Kyoya was tall enough that Haruhi still couldn’t reach her arms up to wrap around his neck.

“I think,” Haruhi began, “that would be nice.”

“Good. Shall we seal the deal with a kiss?”

That made Haruhi throw her head back and laugh—a loud and hearty laugh that seemed to startle Kyoya. “This isn’t a business deal, Kyoya. Just kiss me because you want to… and because I want you to, too.”

She didn’t really wait for him to respond, rather, she took the chance herself—grasping the lapels of his coat and pulling him down to meet her lips. It took him a second to let the shock wear off, but she eventually felt his lips move against hers. They were cool from the cold, but warmed up quickly as their lips moved together. They smiled into the kiss—finally unloading their bottled-up feelings.

It was Kyoya who pulled away slowly, giving her a peck on the tip of her nose (which made her giggle), and then one on her forehead. He pulled her into a warm embrace, and she sighed contentedly. The cold December air didn’t bother her anymore.

“We should probably catch up with everyone,” she finally said, still enjoying his surrounding warmth.

He made no move to back away. “We should, but I’m quite content here.”

She laughed again, and pulled away reluctantly, already missing his warmth. “They’ll send out a search party.”

This time, she grasped his hand and tugged him along gently.

“At least it’ll keep them busy,” Kyoya said as he allowed himself to be led.

* * *

They met everyone at a bar a couple blocks over. They rest of the Host Club were already sitting at the main bar, empty shot glasses littered in front of them, suggesting they already had their first round. They all turned to Kyoya and Haruhi when they arrived.

“It’s about time!” Hikaru exclaimed, gesturing to the bartender for another round.

“I see you’ve cleared things up with each other,” Kaoru said with a grin, observing the couple’s intertwined hands.

Haruhi looked up at Kyoya and said, “We’re… going to see where this goes, I think.” She looked to her friends, and they were all smiling. Her eyes slowly shifted over to Tamaki, who was smiling as well. Her next words were more directed to him, if anything. “If you’re all good with it, that is.”

Tamaki stood up and made his way over to her and said, “If you’re happy, we’re all happy.” He hugged her for the second time today. Then, in a more Tamaki-like fashion, he whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, “If he does anything to hurt you, I’ll kick his butt. Daddy won’t let his little girl go unavenged!”

_ Oh geez, here we go again_, Haruhi thought to herself while rolling her eyes.

Kaoru snorted into his drink.

“Don’t you think we’re all a little too old for that game, Tamaki?” Hikaru questioned as he started handing out full shot glasses to each person.

“Why, I don’t know what game you’re referring to,” Tamaki answered. “Is it wrong for me to be protective?”

“No,” Honey jumped in. “I think we all are, but I think Kyo-chan and Haru-chan make a cute couple.”

Kyoya and Haruhi looked away, both attempting (and failing) to hide their own blushes.

Tamaki jumped in between the both of them and flung his arms around their shoulders, huddling them close. “You guys are too cute! I never thought I’d see Kyoya blushing!”

“He’s back,” Mori commented.

“I knew he’d come around,” Honey agreed.

“Can we just get this toast underway?” Hikaru asked impatiently, pointing to the shot glasses in their hands.

“Right.” Kaoru smiled, looking out at his friends. “To success and happiness… and everything falling into place. For everyone.”

“Kanpai!”

* * *

It was probably not the best idea to go drinking _before_ having something to eat. As a result, three out of the seven of them stumbled out of the bar utterly wasted a few hours later. The more sober ones of the group helped usher them into a taxi back to the hotel.

“Will you two be okay?” Honey asked as he climbed into his own taxi.

“Yeah, unlike those three idiots, I didn’t drink myself into a stupor before I could eat anything,” Haruhi answered with a sigh, part of her slightly concerned for the other three.

Kyoya stood beside her, his face a little flushed, but he was well-aware of his thoughts and actions. “As she said, we don’t require babysitting,” he said, backing her up.

“Let’s go, Mitsukuni,” Mori said from inside the taxi.

“See you later.” Honey waved before he closed the door.

“Now, how about we go get something to eat?” Kyoya suggested as the taxi drove off.

As if on cue, Haruhi’s stomach growled and she giggled at her reaction. “I think my stomach would agree to that.”

They ended up at a simple little corner pizza parlor. It was actually the _ last _ place she thought Kyoya would take her, but was grateful it wasn’t some extravagant restaurant that would take her multiple paychecks to pay off the bill. They sat in a window booth, paper cups full of soda, two plain slices of pizza, and an order of garlic knots to share.

“I didn’t think we’d end up here,” Haruhi mused as she took a bite of her pizza.

“What do you mean?”

“A pizza parlor,” she said, briefly glancing at her watch. “At ten o'clock at night.”

“Well, it’s not the type of place I would normally find myself in, but then again, I don’t usually consume as much alcohol as were offered at the bar before eating. Besides, I have heard that the pizza in New York can’t compare to anywhere else,” he said, taking a bite. In that short moment, he looked delighted as he chewed. “A fact that I can now say is true.”

He really did surprise her sometimes, and this was a good one. It actually reminded her of the day they spent together at the mall all those years ago. She found out a lot about Kyoya that day, and most of it surprised her. Now, in their budding relationship, she was in a position to find out more about him. Part of it kind of scared her, because he still wasn’t an open book. Haruhi’s intuition could only see brief glimpses of the person Kyoya really was, but what she did see in those times was a good person.

“So, can we actually talk about us now?” she asked nonchalantly, hoping that he didn’t mind breaching the subject now.

He placed his slice back on the plate. “I suppose we should.”

Haruhi bowed her head and said, “I know I said this before, but I really am sorry for leaving like I did.”

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. Gathering his thoughts she supposed. “I think that part of me understood why you did, but the other part was disappointed. I always thought that something like… _ that _… would never happen. And then it did… and to be quite honest with you, you leaving saved me the internal panic that would have happened the following morning.”

Her head snapped up at that remark. She didn’t know if she should be offended or not.

“You know what I’m talking about, Haruhi. The both of us would have tried to rationalize our actions of the previous night, and I don’t think it would have ended well,” Kyoya told her calmly. “I know that I would never stop you from leaving, and I don’t think that I could have persuaded you out of it anyhow. I wouldn’t have fought it, and neither would you.”

He was right. He was always right.

Had she chosen to wake up beside him, nothing he could have said would have made her stay.

“And if you did,” he continued, “you would never be happy. I know you well enough that you wouldn’t give up your future for some frivolous summer romance. The thought of it is ridiculous to even me.”

“So what makes anything different now? We’ll be together for what, the next few days and then it ends again? Don’t tell me you haven’t thought that far, because I know you already have.”

To be honest, Haruhi was worried and hopeful at the same time. It was new for her. They had just established a relationship, but how long would that last? Kyoya was busy running his accounting firm, alongside his contributions to his family business. She was in school for another year, and possibly longer if she were to pass the bar exam and find a job. When she looked at their situation, the odds really weren’t in their favor unless they both were willing to make it work.

“Haruhi,” he said, placing his hand on the table palm-side up, silently asking for hers. She obliged, and he squeezed it gently. “You’re right, I _ have _ thought about it. Weighing the pros and cons is useless because it wouldn’t change my feelings for you. Which leaves the only thing to do is try. Are you willing to do that?”

She bit her lip, and met his eyes. For once, the light wasn’t casting a glare from his glasses, and she could see his eyes. They weren’t veiled over with indifference like they normally were. There was honesty there, something only he would show her. He didn’t have to say it in words, his thumb grazing over her knuckles gently.

“Yeah, I think so,” she answered with slightly wavering confidence.

“It won’t be easy,” he said truthfully. “But we can make this work.”

Haruhi looked out the window for a moment, and then looked back to Kyoya. She laughed softly and said, “What a first date this was, don’t you think?”

Kyoya stared at her for a minute, eyebrow raised. Then he started laughing, actual laughter, coming from the Shadow King himself. This didn’t happen very often. There were only a few instances that she could think of. She wondered what was going through his mind to make him laugh like that.

“What’s so funny?”

He let his laughter die down before he spoke. “It’s just… do you really want to count this as a ‘first date’? I assure you, I could show you a much better time and take you to such lovely places.”

She gave him a thoughtful look. “That’s all well and good, but I don’t think it’s a place that makes the date. We’re together, we’re alone, and we’re enjoying each other’s company. Honestly, I don’t really care where we are, as long as I’m with you… as corny as that sounds.”

“If you put it that way, then I suppose it is our first date.”

After that, they talked more and much more easily. They caught up with each other, since they hadn’t actually done that yet. He told her about his life was going in Japan (work, work, and more work... what a surprise), and she told him anecdotes from her time in Boston. They were comfortable around each other again; almost as if they had picked up from where they left off… without the awkward time in between.

They left the pizza parlor hand-in-hand and shared a taxi back to the hotel.

Like a gentleman, Kyoya walked her to her room.

“I guess this is where I should say ‘goodnight’,” Haruhi said as she waved her key in front of the lock.

But when she turned back to face him, Kyoya caught her chin in between two fingers, and tilted her head up to place a kiss on her lips.

It was unexpected, but Haruhi didn’t mind.

It was also the first time he didn’t ask permission.

“Goodnight, Haruhi,” he said as he pulled back.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she told him with a smile.

This time, she definitely would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, Tamaki does not know that Kyoya and Haruhi slept together, in case you were wondering. Neither does anyone else. :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have a chapter full of KyoHaru goodness! :) 
> 
> I'm not even going to pretend that this chapter adds anything major to the story, so... fan service? Oh, but I'm introducing a new character, so there's that. *shrug*

The grand opening for the twins’ boutique was scheduled for nine o’clock the following morning.

Haruhi was awake around seven. She was showered and ready by a quarter to eight, which spared her some time to go to grab two cups of coffee downstairs before knocking at Kyoya’s door.

Reluctantly, at that. She had always heard stories that he was a nightmare to wake up; like his glare could literally cut you in half. 

To her surprise, he was already dressed and ready to go when he answered.

“Morning. Brought some coffee,” she said, offering him one of the cups in her hands.

“It’s appreciated,” he said and took it. He gestured for her to come in, which she did.

His room wasn’t unlike hers. It was just as big—_too big_—for one person. The thought snuck its way into her mind before she could stop it, and she grew flustered thinking about her and Kyoya sharing a room. She scolded herself inwardly for letting her mind wander to that.

Worse enough, he noticed. “What could be running through your mind, I wonder?”

“N-nothing,” she said, trying to get her mind to sober up. “We should probably get going soon.”

“We could spare a few minutes,” he said smoothly, curious about her thoughts. He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. “I bet…” he began slowly, “...you were thinking about how large this room is for one person.”

He really had to stop doing that, but Haruhi wasn’t at all surprised anymore when he did. It was just one of his weird quirks—if you could even call it that. Weird and kind of scary, actually.

“You _ really _ need to stop doing that,” she told him, rolling her eyes.

“What?”

“Reading my mind. It’s kind of creepy.”

“You’re just easy to read, is all.” He gave her a sly smile. “And as far as the room situation, I’m sure we could take care of it with a short visit to the front desk.”

She must have turned tomato-faced because she had him laughing again with her reaction. In response, she playfully shoved him away. “No way. I mean… that’s moving a little fast, don’t you think?”

“I could argue with you on that, but I won’t for propriety’s sake.”

_ Foot, meet mouth_, she scolded herself. Okay so maybe they were going about things a little backwards, but this was their second chance. She didn’t want to mess that up.

Haruhi just rolled her eyes at him and said, “Let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”

* * *

There were already crowds on Fifth Avenue around the boutique when they all arrived. Luckily, they were granted access to the press area where they could watch as the twins cut the ribbon. They were also the first in line to enter the store.

While fashion wasn’t one of Haruhi’s interests, she appreciated the work her friends put into their work. It was like any other art form, and seeing their ideas come to fruition was amazing.

Browsing through the store, she found that the price tags were rather expensive, but she didn’t expect anything less. This was apparently high-end fashion after all.

“Haruhi! There you are!” Kaoru called, spotting her from the other end of the store. He quickly made his way to her. “I’ve got something for you. I’ll be right back.”

He came back with a box decorated with a red bow. It took him two hands to carry, before he carefully placed it in a shopping bag with their logo emblazoned on it in fine gold script.

“For tonight,” he explained as he handed it to her. “We said we’d take care of your dress for the gala. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

She gave him a smile of gratitude. “Thank you. Where’s your brother so I can thank him too?”

Kaoru looked around and pointed in his direction. He was with Kyoya, engrossed in their own conversation.

Haruhi made her way to them.

“Thanks for this, Hikaru,” she said as she walked up.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow, probably wondering what was in the bag.

“Hey, it helped get you here after all,” Hikaru said with a shrug.

“You really think I wouldn’t have tried to get here even without it?” It was frustrating that Hikaru couldn’t accept a simple ‘thank you’ from her. She extended the bag toward him. “I can always give it back.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said with a sigh and relented. “You’re welcome. It was made for you.” He pushed the bag back in her direction gently.

“Unbelievable,” Haruhi muttered.

“Shall we browse some more?” Kyoya suggested, gently leading her away. Then when away from Hikaru he asked, “That’s an outfit for tonight, I presume?”

“Yeah.”

“Amazing how some things stay the same.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been their muse for quite some time now,” he stated matter-of-factly. “They do love to dress you up like some kind of human doll.”

Haruhi smirked. “Jealous?”

That got some kind of reaction from him and stopped him in his tracks. “Not at all,” he replied, tilting his head to the side. Then in a low enough voice only she could hear he added, “As long as _ I’m _the only one who will be taking it off.”

She bit her lip to hide the audible gasp that threatened to leave her, but it didn’t help stop the blush from blooming on her cheeks. 

“There you are!” they heard Tamaki say and saw him making his way over to them. “Isn’t this lovely? The twins have definitely outdone themselves.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from them,” Kyoya said in return. “They are artists in their own right.”

“What’s that?” Tamaki asked, pointing to the rather large bag Haruhi was holding.

“A gift,” she answered.

Tamaki peered at Kyoya, eyebrow raised in question.

“Not from me, you idiot,” Kyoya said with a roll of his eyes. “Unlike you and the twins, I don’t get my kicks from dressing Haruhi up in whatever whim you happen to be on at the moment.”

“It’s from the twins, actually. For tonight,” she explained to Tamaki. “I just hope it’s not something frilly.”

The look on Tamaki’s face told her that he hoped that it would. Back then, he would always enjoy seeing her in pink, girly things. Not that she minded much, but she always preferred less frilly than what he hoped for.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it will suit you perfectly,” he opted to say instead.

A waiter walked up to them and offered glasses of champagne, which only two of them took.

“Not after last night,” Tamaki said with a chuckle. He looked at his two friends sheepishly. “I should probably apologize for whatever embarrassment I may have put you through. I didn’t recall much when I woke up this morning.”

Kyoya took a sip from his glass before saying, “Then thank goodness you didn’t. Though I can’t say what happened after you and the twins got into the cab.”

Tamaki truly looked like he didn’t remember, and for his sake, Haruhi hoped he didn’t act like a complete fool after they arrived back at the hotel. Then again, he was with Kaoru and Hikaru and the three of them… well, she was glad that she wasn’t doing the babysitting. She made it a point to thank (and apologize) to Honey and Mori when she found them.

Her eyes scanned the people in the boutique looking for the two, and while she did see happen to spot Honey, she didn’t see Mori, who was usually hovering over his cousin in his usual bodyguard role. She realized that she hadn’t seen him in the press area outside, either. He wasn’t the type to miss something this big. Something had to be wrong.

“Have you guys seen Mori?” Haruhi asked, her voice slightly concerned.

“So you’ve noticed his absence as well,” Kyoya said. “I wouldn’t fret much. I noticed when we arrived, and asked Honey about it. Apparently our friend has gone to the airport to pick up his soon-to-be fiancee.”

“_What?!_” both Haruhi and Tamaki said in unison.

As if everyone were as informed as Kyoya, he continued to explain. “She was supposed to accompany him this entire time, but she was caught up in her own business dealings and couldn’t join him until today. According to Honey, Mori was expecting her not to come at all, but surprised him last night with a phone call.”

“How lovely!” Tamaki exclaimed. “I’m excited to meet her!”

“Her name is Hina,” Kyoya informed them.

“Anything else you may have dug up on her since this morning?” Haruhi asked half-jokingly and half-seriously. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if he already had the poor girl’s entire background information.

Kyoya shrugged and answered nonchalantly. “Nothing other than the fact that she is a Champion Kyudo Master, which is already public information.”

“Wait a minute--he’s been dating _ Hina Aritomo_?” Tamaki questioned, his expression shifting to one of complete shock and surprise.

Though Haruhi didn’t follow Japanese martial arts closely, she had heard the name before. It seemed natural that Mori would date someone much like himself.

As if on cue, she spotted Mori walk through the doors with a lovely looking woman on his arm.

She was quite tall, but still much shorter than Mori. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown than Haruhi’s--almost a rich honey color. Right now her face was tucked into the scarf that was wrapped around her neck, so Haruhi couldn’t make out much more than the color of her hair, but she assumed she was quite beautiful to garner her friend’s attention.

Haruhi watched as Honey made his way to the couple exclaiming, “Hina-chan!” and giving her a hug. He then led them to where the three of them were for introductions.

Mori cleared his throat and said, “This is my girlfriend, Hina.”

She immediately grabbed Haruhi’s hands and gave her a bright, friendly smile. “You must be Haruhi! I’ve heard so much about you!”

Haruhi was a little dumbfounded at her sudden excitement. It was hard to imagine Mori having a full-on conversation with anyone, let alone actually talking about anyone in particular.

She then bowed to Tamaki and Kyoya, confusing Haruhi as to why she was so formal with them and not her.

“You…” she looked at Tamaki, scrutinizing him, “...must be Tamaki. And you…” she looked over at Kyoya, “...are Kyoya. You look a lot like your brothers, if you don’t mind me saying that.”

When Haruhi looked over at Kyoya, he looked slightly confused over this randomly outspoken girl. No doubt he was wondering how in the world Mori managed to hook her.

“Hina,” Mori said, a soft smile playing on his lips.

“I’m sorry,” she said, finally realizing the awkwardness of her words and actions. “I’ve just been so excited to finally meet you all. Takashi and Mitsukuni are always talking about you guys, so I feel like I already know you so well.”

Tamaki cut through that awkwardness with his own, by saying, “Then you’re already family! Come, princess, let’s find the twins and introduce you to them as well!”

He began leading her away to find them.

Mori let out an exasperated sigh. “I should have expected that,” he said and followed them while Honey trailed behind.

“Well, she’s… nice,” Haruhi commented when they were out of earshot.

“A little on the outspoken side, but I tend to trust Mori’s decisions more than others,” Kyoya noted, and Haruhi agreed completely. He gestured to their friends who were almost on the other side of the boutique. “Shall we follow the train of introductions?”

Haruhi nodded in agreement, but looked down at glass of champagne in her hand which was still full. “We’ve been here for three days now, and I feel like I’ve been fed more liquor than food,” she said, changing the subject. “I’m not sure my liver has had this much work… ever.”

Absentmindedly, Kyoya took her glass and placed it on a nearby counter. He knew there would be more alcohol to go around later tonight.

The rest of the morning went well. She and Kyoya continued to browse the boutique together, mingling with the others here and there, and getting to know Hina better.

Soon, it became very clear that Haruhi was getting bored, and her mind drifted off to other thoughts.

Haruhi was never one for fashion, always preferring comfort over trends, and there were trends all around them. Kyoya, she guessed, wasn’t the type to fawn over trends either. Whenever she saw him, his look was always classic and clean, and once she tried to think of a time she ever saw him in a t-shirt and jeans, she failed. Even now, he wore a pair of black pants and and an olive green v-neck sweater over a dark gray collared shirt underneath. Hell, she wondered if he even _ owned _ a pair of jeans. She deduced that he probably must have some sort of personal shopper. As much as she tried, she could never see Kyoya walking around with a shopping bag and perusing stores. The thought of it was amusing to her.

Kyoya must have sensed how bored she was getting, so he suggested that they leave. They said their goodbyes, assuring their friends that they would see them later. 

They ended up having a comfortable lunch at a casual restaurant nearby. Since they finally sorted everything out the previous night, they found that they fell into the stride of their relationship quite easily. Actually, it was more along the lines of their friendship resuming from where it had been paused before. Sure, there was that extra side of flirting every now and that was different, but it was mostly their old banter she was used to, that she was appreciative of, and was glad was back. For her, they felt like their old selves.

And then just like that, it was the early afternoon and they found themselves back in the lobby of their hotel.

Haruhi stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “I’m thinking I might take a nap before getting ready.”

“You’ll be needing this,” Kyoya said, handing her the shopping bag from earlier. “And a nap sounds absolutely delightful.”

She tilted her head to the side, curious if Kyoya meant that as a double entendre. He had been erring on the side of flirtatious since this morning, though no one but her noticed. Then again, if sleep was as important to him as everyone seemed to think, a nap would satisfy his lack of rest from the night before due to their early and busy morning.

“You wanted me to join you?” he asked with a smirk, definitely playing along with her curiosity and pushing her buttons.

Haruhi _ did _ mull his question over for a brief moment. They’d slept together that one time (or, more than actual _sleep_ as it were), so it shouldn’t be so awkward, right? Wrong. She really did wonder if he was alluding to more than just sleep in his request.

Kyoya’s smirk turned into a warm smile. “You are too easy to pick on, Haruhi.”

Relief washed over her, but if she were being honest, sharing a bed with Kyoya again _ was _ enticing. The next few words stumbled out of her mouth without even thinking about them, “You can come with me.” Her voice was soft and shy, vocalizing her request rather shakily, and her feet taking her toward the elevators as soon as it was done.

Now that took Kyoya off-guard, but he followed her anyway. He wasn’t expecting her to say it so openly. 

They stayed silent on the way up. It was at her door that he finally broke the silence.

“You weren’t joking,” he said, placing his hand gingerly on the one she hand on the door handle.

She pushed open the door and replied with, “No.” When they entered the room, she continued with, “I really do just want to take a nap, Kyoya.” She dropped the shopping bag on the couch in the living room and continued on to the bedroom.

He followed her and watched as she crawled into bed completely and utterly ungracefully… and it was endearing to him. He shrugged off his coat, laid it on the chair in the room, and crawled into bed with her.

They lay there silent for a little while, just staring at each other, until eventually Haruhi reached up to carefully remove his glasses. His vision was slightly blurred when they came off, but she was close enough that his focus was solely on her. His hand came up to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Your eyes,” she began softly, “are actually pretty. It’s too bad you’re always wearing glasses.”

Her comment made him chuckle. “You do know how to sweet-talk a guy.” He didn’t wait for her to answer before he stole a sweet, languid kiss from her lips, pulling her close. He didn’t let it progress any further than that, and pulled away to tuck her head into the crook of his neck.

“I talked you into bed, didn’t I?” she told him with a giggle in her voice, but she yawned again shortly after.

_ She didn’t have to try _ that _ hard_, Kyoya thought to himself pleasantly. He simply hummed his approval in response and closed his eyes, sleep eventually taking the both of them.


	15. Chapter 15

They were both startled awake by the room phone ringing from beside the bed.

Haruhi glanced at the clock beside her, Kyoya groaning his disapproval of being woken up into the pillow. It was already half-past-five.

So they had been sleeping for… _ almost three hours?! _

She was on panic-mode now. From what her foggy, sleep addled mind was piecing together, they had approximately an hour and a half to get ready, as the gala began at seven. She silently thanked whoever was on the other end of the ringing phone for waking them up, that in her slight disorientation, forgot to pick up.

Carefully, she nudged Kyoya on the shoulder. “Wake up. We have to get ready.”

“I am aware of that,” he muttered into his pillow.

The phone started ringing again, and this time, Haruhi picked up.

It was an annoyed-sounding Hikaru--exactly _ not _ who she wanted to hear on the other line.

“Oh thank god.” He sounded exasperated. “We’ve all been trying to contact you for hours now. Tamaki’s ready to have a coronary because you aren’t answering your phone, and Kaoru and I need to send up our hair and makeup person to get you ready.”

“First of all, I fell asleep,” she said with a frown. “Secondly, no. I’m perfectly capable of getting ready myself, thank you very much.”

Kyoya plucked the phone from her hand. When he spoke, he sounded just as annoyed. “As Haruhi said, she won’t be needing any services you or anyone else has lined up for her. Please leave her be to get ready so we can all meet as planned in the lobby in…” He glanced at his watch. “...about an hour.”

He handed back the phone to her, and when she held it up to her ear, she heard the end of a “sorry” from Hikaru. “I’ll see you in a little while,” she told him and hung up the phone.

Then to Kyoya, who was now up and collecting his things, she said, “Thanks for that.”

He just shrugged. “I’ll return in a little while to escort you downstairs. Is an hour enough time?”

“More than enough,” she said confidently and walked him to the door.

Just when she opened it for him, they found Hina standing there, ready to knock.

Kyoya didn’t seem bothered by her presence and gave Haruhi a quick peck on the lips before he stepped into the hallway. “See you soon.” Then, to Hina, “Hello, Hina.”

“Oh, I’m…” she started, wringing her hands embarrassingly in front of her as Kyoya walked away. “I was just coming up to see if you were okay. Everyone else seemed to be worrying because they couldn’t get a hold of you, so I figured I’d come up to see if you were even here.”

“Well, you found me,” Haruhi said with a slight chuckle.

“Did you need help? I know there isn’t a lot of time so I can help you out if you want.”

Haruhi looked at her watch and let out a defeated sigh. While she declined the twins’ offer for hair and makeup, she wasn’t exactly versed in styling hair, and her makeup skills were still a little lacking. If her roommates back in Boston wanted to “glam up” to go out, they would help Haruhi get ready. Having Hina’s help was the next best thing, she decided.

“Alright,” she said with a nod and let the girl in.

It didn’t take too long for her to get her hair and makeup fixed up. Hina did some magic with a curling iron and a hair tie and managed to use the little makeup Haruhi had to give her facial features more definition. 

“There,” Hina breathed when she was finished. “Now, where’s the dress?”

“On the couch, still in the box,” she answered, standing up to lead them in that direction.

“Can I just say that I’m a little jealous that you got the twins to make you a dress for tonight?” Hina admitted as Haruhi pulled the ribbon from the box. “I’ve worn originals from different designers before, but I’ve never been gifted something to wear specifically _for _ a designer’s gala. Do you know how lucky you are?”

“I wouldn’t call it lucky,” Haruhi told her with a chuckle. “They’ve been doing this to me since we were in high school.”

“But still…”

When she opened the box, their eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets in shock over the dress found inside.

It was far from the frilliness Haruhi had initially expected.

She lifted it out of the box by its thin spaghetti straps and let the length of it fall to the floor. It was a deep red silk gown with black rhinestone beading in intricate, lace-like patterns that littered the dress throughout. And the slit up the skirt… she was nervous to see where that would end up. At least they had the decency to include a matching shawl to help cover up—but upon further inspection, it didn’t cover up much.

Also in the box were a pair of matching red, strappy stilettos. She wondered what in the world the twins were thinking when they decided to make this for her—because this definitely was _ not _ her.

“Oh… my god,” Hina said in shock, taking the words right out of Haruhi’s mouth. “You’re totally going to knock knock everyone dead.”

_ Among other things_, Haruhi added in thought.

“Haruhi, you know you’re not going to be able to wear anything under that, right?” she told her, running her hand along the material. “It’s silk. You’ll be able to see _ everything _ if you do.”

She didn’t know how long they were staring at the outfit when they heard knocking on her door.

It was Kyoya, who looked confused as to why she wasn’t dressed yet.

“Is something wrong?” he asked as Hina let him in. “Haruhi, you're not dressed.”

She didn’t quite know how to articulate her feelings on the dress, so instead she held it up to herself to show him.

“I think this is my cue to get out of here and get myself together. I’ll see you guys in a little while!” Hina said as she made her way to the door. Before she exited, she added, “Make sure you take my advice, Haruhi!”

Kyoya was just as surprised to see the dress, but he _did_ want to see it on her. He placed his hands on her shoulders to turn her around and steer her to the bedroom.

“At least give it a try. I’m sure that they wouldn’t have designed it for you if it wouldn’t suit you,” Kyoya said reasonably. “Besides, we will be running late in a few minutes. There’s no time for a replacement.”

Haruhi sighed in defeat and shut the door behind her to get dressed. A few moments later, she called out for Kyoya.

“Can you get the zipper?” she asked as he opened the bedroom door.

It was an innocent request, but as soon as Kyoya saw the creamy skin of her back exposed, and that she would be going without a bra for the night, his breath caught in his throat. He slowly zipped up the dress, lightly trailing his hand on the skin of her back to place it on her shoulder when he finished. He decided right then that her in this dress would be the death of him.

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and then another in the junction where her neck met her shoulder. He heard her sigh and tilt her head to the side, her hand coming up to brush her fingers against his cheek.

As much as Kyoya wanted to ditch the entire gala and have their own little party here in her suite, they did have obligations to their friends. So he turned her around to have a good look at her.

The words ‘stunning’ and ‘gorgeous’ came to mind, but he decided that they weren't enough. He must have looked like a complete fool when all he managed to say was, “Wow.”

The dress wasn’t as form-fitting as he expected when she showed it to him. It only slightly hugged her lean curves, the silk seeming to sway on her skin as she moved. The slit didn’t come up as far as either of them thought, but it did threaten to expose at least the bottom half of her inner thigh as she walked.

“Well if you put it that way, I guess you approve.” She walked away to slip on her shoes.

He walked himself backwards to lean against the door frame, watching as she finished getting putting her shoes on.

“More than.”

Her blush rose from her neck up to her ears.

“And I think that’s our cue to leave,” she said, trying to seem unbothered, picking up the matching shawl and walking past him to grab her coat off the couch.

“Very well,” he agreed, holding his arm out for her to take.

Tonight would be an exercise in self-control.

* * *

The Host Club arrived at the gala without incident, but not without all of them gawking at Haruhi’s dress first. Kyoya attempted to do the best he could to cover her a little better, but the shawl she wore only covered her open shoulders. The slit that made its way up the side of her dress was still quite risqué. His best bet was to glare at every person trying to ogle his girlfriend, hoping he would scare them away.

The gala consisted of the usual—mingling, hors d'oeuvres, and fancy cocktails all around. There was a dance floor in the extravagant venue that already had couples dancing away. Everyone was dressed to the nines, much like the tuxedo-ed group of men she arrived with. The women however were all dressed in various styles of formal wear.

Kyoya helped her out of her coat at the coat check, and she wrapped the shawl around her more.

“No need to feel embarrassed,” he said to her. “Look around, there are plenty of other—_questionable_—choices here tonight.”

He was right about that. She saw a woman with the sides basically _cut_ _out _of the shiny gold number she wore, and another whose gown was pretty much _transparent_ with conveniently placed rhinestones to just barely hide her assets.

“I will never understand the world of fashion,” she muttered under her breath.

“You and me both,” Kyoya agreed and placed a hand on her elbow to lead her into the venue. “You can at least take pride in being somewhat tasteful.”

“Have you _ seen _ me trying to sit down in this? Even if I cross my legs, it doesn’t leave much to the imagination thanks to this stupid slit.” She shifted uncomfortably next to her boyfriend. “It’s one thing for you to be appreciative of it; it’s another for the rest of the guests to.”

Kyoya laughed. “Oh, I won’t hide the fact that I find your attire quite… _ tempting_… but I will be sure to be by your side every minute to ward off any unwanted attention. I’m sure if the others keep you company they will do the same.”

“Excuse me Miss,” someone said from behind them. They turned to find a photographer. “May I take your picture?”

Haruhi was a bit startled at the question. She was the last person that should be in camera showing anything off, or so she thought. She shot a panicked look to Kyoya.

Before he could say anything, the twins appeared out of nowhere and dragged her off to take a picture with them.

“Of course she will!” they answered.

“Oh, the Hitachiin Twins! Is this one of your creations?” the photographer asked in excitement.

“Why yes it is,” Kaoru answered, swinging an arm around Haruhi.

“A one-of-a-kind original,” Hikaru chimed in, his arm also swinging around the other side of Haruhi.

“It’s lovely!” the photographer exclaimed. “Can I just say what a perfect model you’ve chosen?”

Haruhi smiled awkwardly, not used to this kind of attention. It was one thing to be wearing a beautiful wedding gown on a runway where no one could ask her questions, and it was a whole other monster walking around in a somewhat scandalous dress with random people walking up to her asking for a picture.

“She’s a friend of ours,” Hikaru answered casually.

“We’ve known her since high school. She’s the perfect muse,” Kaoru added.

“Wonderful, wonderful! Now just a picture of her.”

The twins moved aside as Haruhi shot them a heated glance that said something along the lines of “I’m going to kill you.” She tried her best to look poised and smile at the camera. No doubt she probably failed miserably—although after a minute or so, she felt a presence to her side. 

Hina had arrived with Mori, and seeing how uncomfortable Haruhi was taking photos, she decided to give her some company.

“Just smile,” she said to Haruhi, and hooked an arm around hers. “You look really gorgeous, Haruhi.”

“Thanks?”

“And I see you took my advice about… what _ not _ to wear?”

“...yes.”

“Has Kyoya noticed yet?” she asked casually, her attention still focused on the camera.

“I don’t think so,” Haruhi replied, suddenly very embarrassed.

“Good… though I think you should tell him later. You know, if he doesn’t figure it out by then.” She started giggling. “It’ll make the night much more interesting, don’t you think?”

Haruhi was a little relieved to have another female by her side, even though this one was just about a head taller than she was, and so much more glamorous. Hina had her smiling and laughing, not even noticing that the photographer was wrapping up.

“Don’t tell me that this is going to happen all night,” she said to the twins, as she caught up with them afterwards, her voice filled with annoyance. “Because if it is, I’m marching right out that door and getting a cab back to the hotel.”

“Don’t worry,” Kaoru told her. “The only bother from photographers and press you’ll have will be out here. One you’re in the ballroom, it’s invite-only.”

“Nothing kills a party more than press roaming about,” Hikaru added.

“Hikaru, Kaoru,” Kyoya started, “please make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

With that he led Haruhi to the ballroom for her own sake.

“What took so long?” Tamaki asked when he spotted the two of them walking in.

“Some unwanted attention, that’s all,” Kyoya explained.

“I hope you scolded those two lowlifes for putting her in this position,” Tamaki said seriously. Then to Haruhi— “Don’t you worry. You’ve got the rest of us to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, we’ll shoo away anyone that bothers you!” Honey agreed while Mori nodded as well.

“I doubt she’ll have much to worry about here. They said no press or photographers would be in the ballroom,” he assured the group. “Besides, she has already threatened them with her absence, should it happen again.”

“Can we please stop talking about me like I’m a damsel in distress?” Haruhi complained. She grabbed Kyoya’s arm and pulled him aside. She looked annoyed.

“Are you alright?” he asked when they were out of earshot.

“I’m… fine. Just a little frazzled. You of all people should know how much I don’t fit in this lifestyle.”

“No, I suppose you never have.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“You see, that’s what makes you… you. It makes you stand out in a crowd. It makes you interesting.” He sighed. Trying to make his point was moot. He took her hand in his. “Come, let’s try to enjoy ourselves for the night.”

Once she let it go, she was able to enjoy the rest of her night. The food was top notch (there was even fancy tuna there!), the drinks were delicious, and she lost count of how many dances she had with her friends. The laughter and good times never ceased, whether they were sitting at the bar or on the dance floor. The twins had stayed true to their word; not one photographer or press person was in the room. Haruhi even grew a little less self-conscious of her attire—though the ever-flowing drinks may have been part of the reason for that.

* * *

Haruhi was nursing a cocktail in her hand when Hina walked up to her later on in the night. There was a bounce in her step that wasn’t there before.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Haruhi asked, trying to figure out the reason for the bright smile on her face.

“You could say that I am…” she answered, reaching out to grab a glass of whatever the waiter was carrying around on his tray. She held the glass up to her lips and lingered there, looking over the rim, waiting for Haruhi to notice.

And notice she did. On her once ringless hand was a large, twinkling diamond ring.

“No way!” Haruhi exclaimed. Even though they had just met earlier in the day, Haruhi pulled her new friend in for a hug. “Congratulations!”

From a few feet away, the girls heard the boys cheering and congratulating the newly engaged Mori. It was a much more enjoyable night from then on, full of celebrating. Finally, there was someone in their group that was getting married, and to a woman that everyone seemed to love.

The more Haruhi thought about it, Hina seemed to fit in seamlessly with their group, and now Haruhi was no longer the only female.

* * *

“Are you happy?” Tamaki asked later as they shared a dance.

“For Mori? Of course,” she answered.

“No, are _ you _ happy?”

She knew he was talking about her and her blooming relationship with Kyoya, so instead she countered with another question. “Are you angry with me?”

“At first, I was,” he told her truthfully. “I wish you had told me the truth to begin with.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Besides, when you were in Boston, it had been at least a year since I last spoke to Kyoya. It wasn’t something that could have changed anything.”

“Still…”

“I _ am _ happy, right now, with all of you,” she said with a shrug.

“I think you make Kyoya happy,” Tamaki said thoughtfully. “And I could never take away what could make _ you _ happy—or be the reason you lost it.”

“Is this your weird way of saying we have your blessing?”

“I guess so.”

Haruhi raised herself on her tiptoes and gave him a feather-light kiss on the cheek, which made him blush. “Thank you,” she said softly, a smile playing on her lips.

He graciously bowed to her when their dance was over, and she made her way back to the table where Kyoya was sitting.

“I see that went well.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Nosy, aren’t you?” She took a seat next to him, turning her body to face him, and crossing her covered leg over her more exposed one, causing the slit to fall open slightly to expose both her legs. “You were watching me.”

She could feel his eyes on her legs, and without missing a beat he leaned into her, placing a hand on her knee and absentmindedly grazing his thumb against her skin. “Of course I was. Remember, I’m supposed to keep you away from unwanted attention.”

She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Are you jealous?”

“Hardly,” he said, but he was having a hard time believing himself. “But I am disappointed.”

“Oh?”

“You see, these…” His hand came up to trace her bottom lip with his thumb. “...should only be reserved for kissing me, and only me.”

She would be straight up _ lying _ if she said that she didn’t find that sheer statement of possession incredibly hot. Heat pooled in her stomach, causing her to squirm a little.

He stood up then, and offered his hand to her. “It would only be appropriate that I have your last dance.”

Haruhi took his hand and let him help her up. They made their way to the dance floor, and he pulled her close. 

“Seeing you dance with everyone tonight did make me incredibly jealous,” he admitted to her at last. “But I haven’t seen you having this much fun since we were in high school.”

She appreciated his honesty.

“And… I also have to admit that your dress has been quite the distraction all evening,” he told her truthfully. “Taking my eyes off of you for even just one second was a challenge.”

She smiled where her head rested on his chest. “I like this side of you, Kyoya.”

“What side would that be?”

“Your honest side.”

“Then I have one more admission to make,” he began as he twirled her in his arms. His voice dropped low as he pulled her back into him and hotly whispered in her ear. “I feel that it’s due time we make our exit. It’s getting late, and I wish to keep my word of removing that offending piece of clothing the twins call a ‘dress’ from you.”

Haruhi swallowed nervously and looked up at him. His eyes were burning into hers, promises of an even longer and more enjoyable night ahead of them reflecting in his gaze. The satisfied smirk on his lips had her wanting wipe it right off with a kiss.

But they were in public, and proper ladies and gentlemen did not do such things, even if they both probably had one too many drinks to care what others thought.

So instead, Haruhi shot him her own smirk and carefully moved his hand down her waist, across the small of her back (low enough to where it was still socially acceptable), making sure he could feel the smooth curve of her hip over the soft silkiness of the dress. She held his hand there and said, “Since you’re being honest, it only seems right that I reciprocate that.” She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered, “No lines.”

It took a minute for her words to register with Kyoya. She dragged his hand back to where it had been before to make her point, and that’s when he finally put the pieces together. He simply stared at her, shocked over her choice of undergarments—or lack thereof in this case. Who was this little minx in his arms, because this certainly wasn’t the Haruhi he was used to. While he enjoyed making her squirm by testing her innocence, this brazen little temptress in had successfully beaten him in his own game and clearly succeeded in rendering him speechless.

She noticed, and just like that her facade melted away. Her hand went to her mouth to help stifle a laugh that she couldn’t hold back. “I wish I had a camera, because your face right now…”

Kyoya gathered his senses quickly as soon as her laugh permeated his ears, and smiled back at her. “Laugh all you want, but don’t you realize what kind of corner you’ve backed yourself into?”

It was the sweetest, yet seductive, thinly veiled threat she had ever heard and it immediately stopped her from laughing.

“Shall we say goodnight to our friends and retire for the night?” he asked politely, leading her off the dance floor.

They slowly made their way through the crowds to find each one of their friends to bid their goodnights, and made sure to thank the twins for an enjoyable night.

Haruhi was acutely aware of Kyoya’s arm easily wrapped around her waist, leading her this way and that, and the hand securely resting upon her hip, making sure she did not leave his side. He was polite and every bit the patient gentleman as they made quick small talk with everyone—they thanked the twins, congratulated Mori and Hina again—before their inevitable exit. Looking up at him, Haruhi couldn’t tell what was going through his mind, but she was sure that the gears were turning, and she was nervous about what he could have in store the moment they returned to the hotel.

There was no question of “your room or mine” when they stepped off the elevator to their floor, and as soon as she shut the door to her room, Kyoya pinned her to it and lifted her up, hiking her legs up to wrap around his waist. His lips were only a breath away from hers, but he resisted the urge to kiss her senseless.

Now that they were eye-level, he slipped a hand beyond the slit of her dress, caressing the smooth skin of her thigh and trailing to cup her bare behind.

“How naughty of you to keep this a secret from me all night,” he said to her teasingly, his hand kneading at her flesh. “Where did you learn such a thing?”

Her cheeks were already flushed and her breathing was slowly becoming labored. “Hina,” she breathed out. “She said… since the dress was silk… you’d be able to see everything…”

“Remind me to thank her later,” he said and closed the gap between them, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters left. *sniff*
> 
> Next week's update may or may not happen. I've got a lot to do this week, with it being Halloween and all. I still have some heavy editing to do, so it might happen a few days later than usual.
> 
> That being said, I wanted to ask if anyone would be interested in excerpts from the story. They'd be more like vignettes of things that I edited out of the fic since they didn't move along the story enough, or just didn't contribute much to the endgame. For example, I edited out Mori's proposal to Hina (which was really kind of cute in its own right). There's also the part where Honey and Mori are herding the twins and Tamaki back to the hotel from the bar. I have a few of them, all from the new chapters I've written since I started on this fic again. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll start posting them after the final chapter.
> 
> Thank you again for all the kudos and comments!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a great Halloween!
> 
> So here we are, the second to last chapter. One more left! Thank you to everyone that’s left a comment or a kudo. :) I love reading what you guys have to say—good or bad!
> 
> (However, I feel like this chapter is a little disjointed. I’ve been staring at it all day at this point, so I’m just going to go ahead and post it.)

The one thing that Kyoya Ootori never was, was insecure. He always had a plan that he was confident in, from organization to execution. Everything always went according to plan and he would always get the desired result. His intuition never failed him. His intents were never unravelled. His game face was always on.

This was the first time he let anything—_ anyone _ —get under his skin like this. She surprised him, she challenged him, and she stood up _ to _ him and _ for _ him. She called him out when he was being too cold. She saw under his mask, and made him vulnerable.

And this… was all when they were in high school. Back then, he didn’t know what to make of it. The moment she walked into Music Room 3 and broke that vase, he was drawn to her. Of course he knew she was a girl—all the clues were there, from the shape of her face and the softness of her skin to the slight lilt in her voice when she spoke. That and the fact that he knew the student body well enough that her name was listed among the female student population.

She was interesting, and he knew it from the moment he spoke to her. She wasn’t like all the other girls.

Perhaps he fell in love with her long ago, but he didn’t realize it, or never knew how to deal with those emotions. Maybe if he had the chance to explore them back then, he wouldn’t be so worried about them now.

* * *

_ “What a disappointment this is, Kyoya.” _

_ Kyoya sat in his father’s office the day after Haruhi had left for America. _

_ “How so?” _

_ “I will admit that while I’m proud of what Miss Fujioka has done with herself, I did not expect her to end up studying abroad,” Yoshio Ootori told his son, an unreadable expression on his face. “And after the summer you spent with her…” _

_ Kyoya held his hand up, stopping his father from saying anything further. He didn’t want to breach that particular subject yet—if ever. _

_ “You’ve said far too much already, Father. I’m afraid whatever your plans you had have been crushed. That’s the odd thing about life—you don’t know what it will hand to you.” _

_ His father frowned at that, and Kyoya was slightly surprised that he would show any emotion at all. _

_ “That’s quite the interesting conclusion you’ve come to, son.” He sat back in his seat. “I suppose one can never really plan out the future and expect it to happen as they want, can they?” _

_ Just when he thought he could always be one step ahead of whatever his father was planning, he surprised Kyoya with an ambiguous comment like that. What was worse was that Kyoya actually agreed with him. _

_ The previous morning, he had woken up to an empty bed and an even emptier house. He didn’t know what to expect the morning after. For once, he actually threw caution to the wind and lived in the moment… and it actually scared him. And for his efforts, when he opened his eyes, she was gone. _

_ He never planned to fall in love with Haruhi that summer. _

_ He never expected to feel a pang of regret whenever he thought of her. _

_ He never expected her to ever feel the same way about him. _

_ She had left him, and that was a good enough answer. _

* * *

Kyoya watched Haruhi as she slept. He never knew he could feel so content with someone simply sleeping next to him. He’d shared a bed others many times before, but this time, it was different. Though he was probably just as tired and sated as she was, he didn’t want to let sleep take over just yet. Perhaps part of it was the unbelievablity of it all, while the other part was the worry that she wouldn’t be there when he woke up.

And then there was his whole notion of merit with everything in his life. He weighed her merit in his life before, but couldn’t formulate an answer. Now, thinking about it when she was with him like this, he did have an answer. 

She made him happy. It was as simple as that.

That was her merit in his life.

Kyoya bent his head and placed a kiss on her forehead, causing her to stir slightly and curl into him more. He smiled and finally closed his eyes to let sleep take over.

* * *

The next morning, Haruhi struggled to open her eyes while the morning sun streamed into the room. Her limbs were blissfully relaxed, her body tucked into the soft and warm down sheets of the bed. Next to her was a sleeping Kyoya, looking just as peaceful and just as relaxed as she was. She couldn’t help but reach out to run her fingers through the tuft of dark hair on top of his head.

That did absolutely nothing to rouse him from his sleep. She could hear soft snoring coming from him, and it made her smile.

For most of the Host Club, this would be their last day in New York. The twins would be keeping an extended stay to oversee their boutique, of course, but everyone else had flights out the following morning. That included the person sleeping soundly next to her.

Haruhi had decided to extend her stay as well, opting to downgrade to a different, more affordable hotel further from Central Park so she could experience Christmas in New York. She initially expected to be doing that alone, but because of how things worked out with her and Kyoya, she wasn’t sure if he would be open to extending his stay as well. For all she knew, he would have to return home for work-related things.

She sat up slowly, turning to face the window on her opposite side, hoping not to wake the sleeping Kyoya, and stretching her limbs, trying to get her body working again. The night before was very… creative (for lack of a better term), and she found she had more endurance than she thought. She grinned happily at the thought.

“Now this is quite an enjoyable view to wake up to.”

She turned her head to find Kyoya awake, and watching her back as she stretched. He was still lying on his stomach, his head turned toward her and a smile playing on his lips.

Haruhi pulled the covers over herself again and laid back on the bed to face him.

“So what do you want to do today?” Haruhi asked.

“Stay here with you and order room service,” he answered, reaching out for her and pulling her against him. “And before you accuse me of joking, I’m not. In the last couple of days, I have either been involuntarily woken up too early, or was obligated to do so. So, this morning, I would really like to be able to stay in bed for as long as I want.” His fingers grazed the small of her back. “And with the person I’d like to spend the most time with.”

“Demanding, aren’t we?” 

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he took the opportunity to swing himself so he was hovering over her.

“I’m sure you noticed that I always…” He bent down and gave her a peck on the tip of her nose. “Get.” And another on her lips. “What.” One at her jaw. “I.” And finally one on the side of her neck. “Want.”

“Yeah, you’re one hell of a spoiled rich kid alright,” she said and pulled him down for a proper kiss.

* * *

_ “She’s doing well, you know.” _

_ Kyoya was on the phone with Tamaki, who had just gotten back to from his trip to America. Tamaki had excitedly phoned him, telling him that he bumped into Haruhi while he was there. The mention of her name tore his attention away from the work-related document he was reading. _

_ “Good. That’s good to hear.” _

_ Thoughts of Haruhi entered his mind sometimes, but he let them go, not really wanting to confront them. Hearing that she was well relieved him somewhat, but there was a nagging feeling in him that didn’t resolve, and one that couldn’t quite place. _

_ “You should come with me somewhere. Take a vacation,” Tamaki suggested on the other end of the line. “You’ve been working too much.” _

_ “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” _

_ “Don’t try to tell me that you’re not sitting in front of a stack of papers or your laptop right now.” _

_ He did have a couple reports on his desk at the moment, and his laptop was open to an email he had been reading before. He placed the paper in his hand on his desk. _

_ “Even so, Tamaki,” Kyoya started, “I am doing just fine. Your worry is completely misplaced.” _

_ Tamaki let out an exasperated sigh. “Kyoooooyaaaa~” _

_ “Tell me more about your trip.” _

_ To be honest, he wanted to know more about the girl in question. The times that he thought of her, he wondered what her life was like in Boston. He wondered how her classes we going and how she settled into her new life there. He wondered if she’d made friends, or even if she had gotten into a new relationship. _

_ The last thought made him frown. _

_ “Well,” Tamaki started, “Haruhi and I spent a lot of time together.” _

_ “Oh?” _

_ “Yeah, we out to dinner one night, and she took me to the Night Market another night, and we sat at her place and watched movies the night before I left…” _

_ Kyoya didn’t notice how deep his frown was, and how hard he was gripping his phone. He took a deep breath before he responded with, “It sounds like a lovely time.” _

_ Though the delivery was sharper than he intended, and Tamaki noticed. _

_ “Are you alright, Kyoya?” _

_ He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s nothing. As much as I enjoyed catching up, Tamaki, I have some work to get back to. Perhaps we can catch up in person, when you’re back in Japan?” _

_ “Oh, I’ve got better,” Tamaki replied with excitement. “Have you checked your mail recently?” _

_ Kyoya looked over at the pile of mail at the side of his desk. It had been at least a week since he checked what was there. It was mostly junk. _

_ “Hardly,” he answered. _

_ “There should be an invitation from the twins to the grand opening of their boutique in New York!” Tamaki exclaimed. “It’s just a few days, but they invited everyone. You should at least try to make it. Besides, when was the last time all of us were together? It’ll be fun!” _

_ He shuffled through what was on his desk. There, in a gold envelope was an invitation from the Hitatchiin twins, which opened to a glittery card inviting Kyoya to not only the grand opening, but other weekend fashion-related festivities as well. _

_ “Come on, Kyoya. I don’t think they’ll take ‘no’ for an answer,” his friend urged. _

_ It had been a couple years since the lot of them were together. They did have a lot of catching up to do, and the fact that Haruhi might be there as well… _

_ “I’ll give it some thought.” _

_ While Tamaki went on and on about what they’d all do while in New York, all he thought about was seeing Haruhi again. He wondered how she would react to seeing him again. What managed to get him out of his thoughts was Tamaki saying something about finding him a girlfriend in New York while they were there. _

_ “And that’s my cue to hang up.” _

_ “But wait…!” _

_ He hit the “End Call” button and set his phone on his desk, his eyes still roaming the invitation in his hand. _

_ He had some time to make a decision. _

* * *

“..._ Initial forecasts expect anywhere from two to three feet of snow _.”

Haruhi sat next to Kyoya on the couch watching TV while Kyoya worked on his laptop. When the weather report came on, he looked up. With how busy they were the last couple days, neither of them knew that there was a snowstorm headed their way.

“_ Travel is discouraged for the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Please check with your airlines for cancellations. _”

When Haruhi looked over at him, he was frowning.

“Well this is a hassle,” he sighed, clearly disappointed. He returned to his laptop, quickly typing in something. He sighed again. “My flight tomorrow morning is cancelled.”

“It’s not that surprising, is it?”

“No,” he answered softly, a smile playing on his lips. He closed his laptop and set it aside. “But it looks like I’ve bought myself a little more time with you.”

He pulled her to him in a warm embrace, and Kyoya knew in that moment that he made the right decision. Coming here ended up being the _best_ decision he’d ever made. Plan or no plan, he got much more than he ever expected.

Leaving her side (whenever that would be) would be harder than choosing to come. He would make the best of it for now, and he was sure they’d figure everything out somehow.

This time was different. He would make sure of it.

* * *

As expected, all of the Host Club were forced to stay another day. It didn’t matter whether or not they took private jets—all flights were grounded until conditions were agreeable.

Everyone stayed in the lounge after successfully adjusting their reservations (throwing family names out seemed to work like a charm, even here in America), watching the snow fall through the windows. There was already a few inches on the ground, workers outside, trying to keep the sidewalk as clean as possible. The snow was really coming down.

Haruhi had never seen snow like this before. Large flakes swirled in the wind outside, and she could only imagine how cold it was out there. The tall buildings probably made the perfect wind tunnels.

“I wonder what it’ll look like in the morning,” Haruhi sighed, sitting back in her chair.

“I’m sure the park will be beautiful with the snow covering everything!” Honey exclaimed. Even though he had grown, he still somehow kept the childlike innocence that she remembered.

Tamaki stood up and said, “I have an idea!”

Kyoya calmly responded with, “Please, do tell.”

“Let’s go visit the park!”

“It’s kind of hard to do that right now, and it’s probably too cold outside, Tamaki,” Haruhi said rationally.

“No, no, no. Not _ now _ . Tomorrow,” he replied. “We should have a _ real _ outing. While these last few days of glitz and glamor were great, we haven’t done something just for the fun of it.” Tamaki got a wistful look in his eyes then. “Like old times.”

Honey smiled excitedly. “It sounds like a great idea!”

“There he goes,” Hikaru commented with a sigh.

“You know if we say ‘no’ he’ll give us those puppy dog eyes and we’ll end up saying ‘yes’ anyway,” Kaoru added.

“I kind of like the idea,” Hina agreed, jumping into the conversation. She seemed just as excited as Honey. “I mean, we’re all stranded here for at least the next day. Why not do something fun?”

Mori nodded his head in agreement. He always went along with everything and never really put up a fight. Haruhi could never really tell if he was bothered by any of their group antics. He was always so patient.

“You do realize that this storm will continue through tomorrow afternoon, yes?” Kyoya chimed in.

“Then we go out _ after _,” Tamaki said. “Come on, let's have some fun. We can have a snowball fight!”

Haruhi sighed, knowing the twins were right about Tamaki. To save this from happening, she just gave in. “Fine. I’m in. Tomorrow afternoon while it’s still light outside.”

She kind of missed their high school antics, no matter how childish some of the things they did were. A simple game of Hide and Seek ended up being one of her favorite memories. Then, they grew up—and silly childish games faded away into board meetings and business dealings.

“Well, if Haruhi’s in, we’re in too,” Hikaru said.

“Yay!” Honey exclaimed. “Takashi and Hina-chan too, right?”

“Yes!” Hina agreed as Mori added a sound of affirmation and a nod.

“Kyoya…?” Tamaki directed his gaze in his best friend’s direction.

With a sigh of defeat, Kyoya said, “Alright.”

There was much rejoicing after that, though Haruhi mouthed a “thank you” in Kyoya’s direction as everyone started excitedly discussing game plans for the following day. The excitement was contagious, and Haruhi couldn’t keep the smile off her face as they talked about playing in the snow. It was humorous to her, but just as endearing as ever.

It was a while before they all went their separate ways, and Haruhi and Kyoya made their way back to their floor. As soon as they were nearing her door, she came to the realization that she had no idea if Kyoya would be expecting to stay the night again.

She paused before reaching into her pocket for the key.

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

Why she was so awkward now, she didn’t know. The typical person would expect that yes, spending the night together again would be normal for a couple; but they ended up spending the day together holed up in there. Would it be too much?

Sometimes, her eyes were really the windows straight into her soul. Kyoya noticed the conflicting emotions that swirled there. He noticed _ too _ much sometimes, but this time he had to take a step back and just be amused. She was nervous, and it was adorable.

“I think that it would be pertinent for you to know that I will be checking out tomorrow morning,” he told her, the normal unreadable expression on his face.

She looked at him, confused. “Uh… the point was to _ extend _, not check out, Kyoya.”

“Yes, well… I thought with as many people that were trying to extend their stay, they could use another room,” he explained. Although it sounded like a nice gesture, Haruhi still didn’t grasp what he was getting at. He laughed softly and patted her on the head. “You have a perfectly nice room that the twins have nicely extended your stay for. I’ll be staying with you.”

The realization struck as soon as he said the words. “Oh.”

“I assumed you wouldn’t have a problem with my decision.”

“No, but I wish you’d have told me beforehand.”

Kyoya grinned. “And miss making you squirm a little?”

At least a couple more days with Kyoya didn’t sound so bad. Besides, it was almost Christmas—and she couldn’t have asked for anything better. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to _ not _ think of the future and just live in the moment.

“Is this payback for last night?” she countered, finally slipping her key from her pocket and opening the door.

As soon as the door closed behind them, he pulled her to him from behind. “Not even close…”


	17. Chapter 17

** _About a year later…_ **

It was a beautiful autumn morning in Japan. The setting was perfectly picturesque for a wedding—the trees were various shades of yellow, orange, and red with some spots of green left from the most stubborn trees. The weather was cool and breezy, not quite as warm as a summer day, but the sun provided enough heat for Haruhi to wear a light long-sleeved shirt.

She currently sat in front her father’s memorial. It had been a long time since she had been there. She had left her life in Japan years ago and never really looked back. She knew that her dad would have cheered her on, had he still been here. It warmed her heart to believe that both her mom and dad were doing just that—together—up in Heaven.

Ranka would probably have a lot to say regarding her activities in the last few years. Haruhi smiled at the thought. Though she wondered how he would have reacted to her dating (and now living) with Kyoya. They spoke quite often when she was in high school, and she knew he held him in high regard. Funny how it worked out in the end.

After their time in New York, things between them got better. Kyoya ended up staying as long as she did, and they spent that Christmas together. They were the epitome of a tourist couple for those next few days—seeing the sights and experiencing what the city had to offer. It was nice to see Kyoya happy and unwound. It was hard to leave each other when their time was over.

They made it work. He surprised her in Boston on New Year’s Day, and again they spent the next few days together (though her roommates bombarded him with questions, and wondered why she had kept her handsome friend a secret for so long). When her classes started again, they spoke on the phone as often as they could. She sent him chocolates of Valentine’s Day, and although they arrived in… not the condition she bought them… he still appreciated the sentiment. A month later, she received a bouquet of pink and red roses, with a person attached to them that would be spending Spring Break with her.

When summer came, Kyoya brought up the idea of renting an apartment in the area. Rationally speaking, it would save him the trouble of staying at a hotel every time he came, so Haruhi was initially agreeable to the idea. When he brought up her moving in, her initial thought was ‘no’ for so many reasons. They eventually worked it out, and by the end of the summer, they settled on a place Haruhi was comfortable in, and where she could contribute enough to cover their utilities while Kyoya took care of the rent.

They moved in July. They didn’t exactly live together (Kyoya had his business obligations in Japan) but he would come and spend at least a week in their apartment every month.

She had one more year of school left. She had a paid internship at a prestigious law firm. She had a man that loved her and supported her, but never suffocated her. For the first time in a long time, Haruhi was hopeful for the road ahead.

“Don’t worry, he’s still taking care of me,” she said, placing a hand on the smooth stone in front of her.

A hand on her shoulder startled her a little, but she knew who it belonged to. She placed her hand on top of his.

“And I will continue to do so, for as long as she lets me,” Kyoya added, and when Haruhi looked up at him, the smile on his lips told her that he would.

She smiled back. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

* * *

The invitation to Mori and Hina’s wedding came to their apartment in September. They already knew it was coming—Haruhi had received an excited call from Hina right around Valentine’s Day, asking her if she would be part of the wedding party as a bridesmaid. She went on about how since all the boys were going to be groomsmen, it wouldn’t be fair if she wasn’t included.

So now here she was, getting swept away in all the preparations. Hina didn’t ask much of her, since she was well-aware of her studies overseas—she just had to be there for the big day. The twins were able to get her measurements over to have a dress made, and everything else was taken care of.

The colors were, of course, autumn-themed. Hina’s bridesmaids wore silky golden gowns, with crowns of autumn blossoms on top of their simple updos. In their hands were small bouquets of matching flowers. Everything was fairly simple—nothing too extravagant—except for the extremely large crowd of guests gathered to watch the couple say “I do.”

And Hina was a vision in her wedding gown—a white mermaid-style dress with off-the-shoulder straps and golden jewels accenting the fabric. Her train seemed to go on for days, and made her look like she was floating on a cloud as she walked down the aisle.

She was glowing as she walked down the aisle, and Haruhi couldn’t help but smile. When Hina made it to Mori’s side, Haruhi noticed the awe in his eyes and how much happiness they both radiated. 

Haruhi’s eyes shifted over to Kyoya, who was standing on Mori’s side, and smiled at him. He caught her eye returned her smile with an equally warm one of his own.

* * *

_ “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Miss Fujioka.” _

_ After their visit to her father’s memorial, they had one more place to stop before they had to be at the wedding venue. _

_ Pulling up to the Ootori estate brought back old memories from the time she spent there. Instead of the familiar route to the guest house, they drove right up to the main house. Haruhi never did visit the main house during her stay on the property. Her stomach was doing backflips as they were let in and waited on Kyoya’s father. _

_ She stood up and bowed as soon as he greeted her. “You as well, Ootori-san.” _

_ “Oh please,” he replied with a jovial laugh—far from what she expected. “You are welcome to call me by my first name.” _

_ And apparently Kyoya too. He looked at his father with a shocked stare. _

_ “I owe you many thanks, Miss Fujioka,” Yoshio said, bowing his head to her. “You’ve given my son something more to reach for.” _

_ Kyoya looked at his father with wide eyes. _

_ “I’m sure that he told you what I had asked of him back when you were staying with us, yes?” _

_ “I… well… he did, but…” _

_ Kyoya interjected with, “I don’t think this is an appropriate conversation to have…” _

_ “It’s more than appropriate. Kyoya, you have had your eyes set on success since you were able to comprehend what that was. You did everything in your power to become the successor to this,” he gestured in the air, “that you simply looked past everything else. I thought that Suoh’s son would have helped with that, and he did somewhat. Then this young lady came into the picture.” He glanced at Haruhi. “You finally valued something other than success—the people around you. And while I may have put the idea of romance in your head, I can’t take credit for your own actions and your own emotions.” _

_ It looked like Kyoya was stunned into silence. _

_ His father continued to speak. “I was surprised when he told me he was seeing you, Miss Fujioka. Even more surprised when he told me that the both of you decided to share an apartment.” _

_ “Is—is that a problem?” Haruhi asked, suddenly nervous over his potential answer and his opinion on the matter. _

_ “No, not at all,” he answered with a thoughtful expression. “In all the years that I’ve known my son, I have never seen him as happy as he is with you. I’ve never seen him take time out of his schedule to fit someone else in. I’ve never seen him stop to enjoy what life has to offer. Not until you.” _

_ “Father, I…” Kyoya finally started. _

_ He held a hand up to stop Kyoya from speaking. “I have always been proud of you, son. But there’s so much more than checks and balances, merits and worth. Do you see that now?” _

_ Kyoya stood next to Haruhi and put his arm around her. He offered her a smile and answered with, “The clearest I ever have.” _

_ Yoshio Ootori smiled at the two lovebirds in front of him. Even though he had made his wishes known to Kyoya years ago, he didn’t really expect anything to come of it. Now, he couldn’t wait to see it unfold further. Maybe he would get that lawyer in the family… or maybe even more grandchildren in the future. _

* * *

As expected, the ceremony was beautiful. Haruhi may have even gotten a little bit teary-eyed when Mori and Hina said their vows. They said “I do” as the sun set behind them, amongst a chorus of cheers and applause.

While the ceremony was simple, the reception was lavish—both families must have gone all-in to afford a champagne fountain as a centerpiece at every table, and golden leafy decorations all around. The rumor going around was that the cake was decorated with 24K edible gold.

There was dancing and good times to be had by all. When it came time for Honey to give his Best Man speech, he had trouble articulating himself through his happy tears. He managed to get through it, and formally welcomed Hina to the family. (Honey was then awarded with a beautifully decorated pastry by Tamaki afterwards.)

When it came time for Hina to do the bouquet toss, Haruhi was all but pushed out to the front by the rest of the Host Club. Hina winked at her, and she deliberately aimed her toss at her, which she, of course, caught.

And when Mori has to toss the garter, well…

Those two knew how to make their shots count, to say the least.

After an embarrassing display, which had Haruhi beet-red and Kyoya grinning like a maniac, they found themselves outside on an empty balcony, overlooking the lake that served as a backdrop for the ceremony. It was chilly (winter would be coming in no time) so Kyoya draped his jacket over her shoulders.

“That was really embarrassing, you know,” she told him, thankful for the fresh air.

Kyoya chuckled and wrapped his arms around her from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek. “It was expected.”

“I know,” she replied with a sigh, settling into his embrace. “They could have made it less obvious, though.”

They stood there in silence for a few moments, enjoying the night air and the faint music that drifted out from the party inside.

“One day I’ll ask,” he said, which made Haruhi stiffen in his arms. To her reaction, he continued with, “But you’ll let me know when that time will be, in your own way, of course.”

She relaxed against him again. “How do you know I’ll say ‘yes’?”

“Because when I do, I’ll be confident that you will,” he told her. “You’re just that easy to read, Haruhi.”

She turned around to face him, making sure his arms still circled her waist, while she wrapped her arms around his neck. “So, what am I thinking right now?”

Kyoya gave her a knowing grin. “That you want to kiss me.”

So she did.

* * *

_ “This is exciting news! Happy news! We have to celebrate!” _

_ He had requested Tamaki join him for lunch that day to ask his opinion on a certain matter, and he was fully aware of what his best friend’s reaction would be to that matter. He just hoped that the restaurant’s patrons wouldn’t be too disturbed by the blond idiot’s excitement. _

_ “I haven’t asked yet, moron,” Kyoya muttered as Tamaki flailed. He was beginning to second guess asking Tamaki to come today. “I don’t even have a ring picked out yet.” _

_ Tamaki’s flailing stopped and he leaned forward. His eyes were glossy—a telltale sign that he was about to shed some unnecessary tears. _

_ “And you want me to help? Of course I’ll help!” Tamaki exclaimed, grabbing Kyoya’s hands. “It means the world to me that you would ask my opinion in such a matter!” _

_ Kyoya didn’t even have to ask. While he was perfectly capable of choosing an adequate piece of jewelry on his own, it wouldn’t hurt to have a second opinion. _

_ They went to a jeweler well-known to the elite, and very familiar with both the Ootori and Suoh families. In fact, they didn’t even have to ask to be ushered into a vault where their more precious pieces were kept. These were pieces that an ordinary income could never even think of affording. _

_ “Now then, what were you gentlemen in the market for today?” the owner asked as the vault door was closed behind them. _

_ “My friend here is searching for the perfect engagement ring!” Tamaki answered excitedly. _

_ “Ah, so congratulations are in order! Come, let me show you what we have.” _

_ He pulled out a drawer full of diamond rings—different colors, different cuts, different sizes, different styles—but none seemed to catch Kyoya’s eye. Tamaki, on the other hand, fawned over the more extravagant ones. He was currently eyeing a large, oval-cut, lavender-colored, diamond ring. _

_ “I prefer it not to be so obnoxious that it looks like I’ve bought her entire being with a single piece of jewelry,” Kyoya commented with a huff. “Simple would be best.” _

_ “But it would look stunning on her hand!” Tamaki complained. _

_ “Tamaki, when was the last time you saw Haruhi wear jewelry on a regular basis?” Kyoya asked. _

_ Tamaki looked like he was going through his memories, and slowly coming to realization—that she never did. _

_ The jeweler smiled at Kyoya. “I do have something you might appreciate, then. Not many prospective buyers do, because it’s not the grandiose gesture they think their significant other deserves. I assure you, that as simple as the design may be, there are little to no imperfections.” _

_ They exited the store that day with a small bag and a hefty charge on Kyoya’s credit card. _

_ “When will you pop the question?” Tamaki asked. _

_ “When I know she’ll say ‘yes.’” _

_ “And that is…?” _

_ “I have no plans as of now,” Kyoya said with a shrug. _

_ “So you bought a ring, but have no plans as to how you’ll propose? Or even when?” Tamaki looked shocked. This was Kyoya “I-have-a-plan-for-everything” Ootori he was speaking to, right? _

_ “You are correct.” _

_ “But… but… you _ have _ to have a plan. I mean, this is a _ big thing _ that you have to have a plan for. Don’t you want it to be perfect?” _

_ Kyoya smiled to himself. “But it already is.” _

* * *

“Haruhi.”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Haruhi set down the book she was reading and took off her glasses. They had retired to the couch of their small apartment after dinner; Haruhi reading a book, and Kyoya reading sorting through emails.

They were as comfortable as they ever were with each other, falling into a routine in the last year of living with each other for the week Kyoya came to visit each month. They had been together for almost two years now. Although they were seemingly content with their living situation, they both knew that they needed something to change. It was getting harder and harder for the both of them to say goodbye whenever Kyoya had to leave.

He reached into the drawer of the end table to his side, and produced a small velvet box. Opening it, he presented her with the ring he had bought months before. “Will you…”

“You’re supposed to know my answer,” she interrupted with a knowing grin, recalling their exchange from Mori and Hina’s wedding almost a year ago now.

Kyoya reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. He looked her in the eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger. It was a demure looking ring, but the diamonds sparkled as much as her eyes did when she set her eyes on it. It fit perfectly, and settled just right against her slender fingers.

He was absolutely certain of her answer; she didn’t need to say a word.

Kyoya didn’t have a clue what would come next—not a thought to the when, the how, and the where. They would make it work. What mattered was right now, and the way Haruhi’s eyes danced with pure happiness and the promise of a future together.

He pulled her close, and just before her lips met his, she whispered, “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys... I can’t believe that I finally finished this fic! After a ten year “hiatus,” I’m glad that this is the one I came back to. Did you know this is actually the first chapter fic I’ve finished? <strike>(At the exception of my first atrocious fic I wrote when I was a teen, which you can still read.)</strike> I’m really kind of proud of this one.
> 
> I just want to say thank you to all of you who either followed me over from FF.net, or happened upon this fic here. I’m so grateful for those of you that commented or left kudos. I really appreciate all the positive things you all had to say.
> 
> This isn’t the end! I promised off-shoots with the other characters from this little “world” I made, and they will be coming. Ouran has been my favorite fandom to write for, and I really don’t want to stop now. (I hope those rumors about a second anime season are true!)
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


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